The Saga of Mercury
by JRHorse
Summary: This story focuses on Amy and Greg, and about a special, loving relationship that they share... past and present. The Knights of the Inner Planets are also involved in this story (Chad, Ken, and, in a fanfic rarity, Jamie the volleyball player!).
1. A Princess' Dream

INTRODUCTION  
  
Hello, my name is Jose. I've been a Sailor Moon fan  
since 1995 when english-dubbed episodes started to  
air on WPIX in New York City, now a WB station.  
  
Recently I led an effort to Return Sailor Moon  
to the Cartoon Network. I started an online petition  
shortly after Sailor Moon was purged from the  
television lineup, and towards the end of July,  
I submitted a 1,400+ signature petition to  
Turner Broadcasting.  
  
Ever since creating that petition, my feelings for  
the Sailor Moon series have been strong.  
  
After reading countless fan fiction stories, I have  
decided to start one of my own. This is called  
"THE SAGA OF MERCURY", and it focuses around  
Amy and Greg, a duo whom I wished had some kind  
of future like Serena and Darien in the actual series,   
but never did.  
  
I have written eight chapters, totaling to about  
forty pages, in Microsoft Word, and the process is  
still ongoing.  
  
I have decided to release the first three completed  
chapters and release other chapters on some kind of  
regular basis, but first I would like to see some  
fans provide their input and "Constructive Criticism"  
on this series.  
  
My ideas for a portion of this series came from the  
incomplete "Mercury Knight Stories" by Ryuuen No Miko,  
which is currently available at www.sailorjupiter.com.  
  
I wanted to contact Ruyyen No Miko about the Mercury  
Knight Stories, and my idea for The Saga of Mercury,  
but I have been unsuccessful so far. (E-mail bounces  
back, "USER DOES NOT EXIST", etc.)  
  
Therefore there is some risk, if the Mercury Knight  
Stories author finds this story and demands that I  
remove his or her content, I will ask moonromance.com  
to remove the story. A risk, but nevertheless I feel  
I should continue with this project.  
  
DISCLAIMER  
  
As usual, "Sailor Moon" and all related characters  
are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, TOEI  
Animation and other agencies.  
  
The Saga of Mercury story is copyrighted by me, however  
some content in later chapters is based on the Mercury  
Knight Stories as described in this Chapter 1 Introduction.  
  
Please feel free to write a critique or send your  
comments to HRFANNY@AOL.COM with the subject line,  
in all caps, SAGA OF MERCURY. If you do not do this  
then the filter will block your e-mail.  
  
NOTE:  
Although most of the chapters can pass with a rating of PG,  
some of the chapters, especially those with attack scenes,  
necessitate a PG-13 rating.  
Therefore, I have given the entire story a rating of PG-13.  
  
With that, on with the show! And please enjoy.  
  
- Jose  
  
  
******  
You can view released chapters in PDF format by visiting:  
http://members.aol.com/jrhorse98/sagaofmercury/index.html  
The Saga of Mercury is also available in text format at  
http://www.fanfiction.net  
http://www.moonromance.com  
******  
  
  
The Saga of Mercury  
Chapter 1  
A Princess' Dream  
  
Princess Amy of Mercury was horrified at the sight   
she saw.  
  
A huge cloud of dark energy was becoming visible east   
of the Sun, and was closing in fast.  
  
Princess Amy thought that it could only be one thing.   
It was the Negaverse coming to attack her palace and   
her planet.  
  
"Mercury is ours for the taking!" said a dark,   
booming voice. "Then Venus, then Earth, and   
eventually, the entire Moon Kingdom! Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-  
ha!"  
  
Princess Amy looked back at her palace, then looked   
into the sky, and thought, Oh no! Our deflector   
shield is losing power!  
  
The deflector shield, fully operational at all times   
to protect the palace from any threats, was indeed   
losing power, to the point that gaps in the shield   
were starting to become visible lines tearing apart   
in the sky.  
  
The dark cloud then shot through one of these gaps,   
and was aiming for Princess Amy.  
  
Princess Amy let out a huge scream, a scream that   
seemingly could have been heard for miles, and   
started running towards the palace. She knew that the   
palace would come under attack real soon, but had no   
choice but to run there, because her Mercury Power   
Transformation Pen was left in her bedroom.  
  
When Princess Amy was a few hundred feet from the   
palace gates, she was stopped by an invisible force   
field that flung her back to the ground. "Oh No!" she   
cried. "The palace is surrounded by dark energy!" The   
palace was starting to crumble into dust under the   
intense dark energy. "Mother! Father! Someone! Help   
me!" she said as she collapsed onto the ground, tears   
of sadness flooding her eyes.  
  
Princess Amy then turned around, and saw the dark   
soldiers of the Negaverse staring in her face. They   
were all dressed in black, with black capes, silver   
swords and black masks. Princess Amy tried to crawl   
back, but was once again stopped by the Negaverse's   
force field. "PREPARE TO DIE, MERCURY!" said a   
soldier. Three others stepped forward, swords drawn,   
and charged toward the Princess.  
  
The Princess, eyes opened in horror, quickly shut her   
eyes, covered her face, and let out what would have   
been her last horrifying scream. A few seconds later,   
she could feel the wind blowing across her face,   
blowing her hair back and blowing the tears away. She   
opened her eyes to find herself in the air, moving   
away from the palace at an incredible speed. She   
looked back to see that someone was carrying her...  
  
"Are you all right, Princess?" he yelled, trying to   
make his voice heard over the loud gusts of wind in   
the air.  
  
Princess Amy looked back... and saw holding her...  
  
"MERCURY KNIGHT!"  
  
"Everyone is safe at the palace on the other side of   
the planet, I'll take you there."  
  
"Oh, Mercury Knight! Thank you for saving my life."  
  
"Princess, I must protect you... because it is my duty...   
and because..."  
  
"Because?"  
  
"Because... I love you."  
  
"Oh, Mercury Knight!"  
  
Princess Amy and Mercury Knight, flying back to the   
other palace in safety, stared at each other, closed   
their eyes, and bent their heads toward each other...  
  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Amy's eyes went wide open, and she sat up.  
  
She was in her bed, fully awake, and her alarm clock   
read 7:01 AM.  
  
Amy looked left, looked right, and then covered her   
mouth in shock.  
  
That must have been a nightmare, she thought, but it   
seemed so real, as if I was really back on my home   
planet...  
  
There was a knock on Amy's door.  
  
Amy snapped out of her thought... "Come in!"  
  
"Good morning, Amy. Sleep well?"  
  
"Oh, good morning, mother, uh... yes, I slept just   
fine, thank you..."  
  
"Good. When you've showered and dressed, come down   
for breakfast."  
  
"Yes, mother."  
  
When Amy was ready to leave for school, she noticed a   
fax coming in from the fax machine. Amy decided to   
read the fax to see whom the fax was for.  
  
The fax was addressed to Sailor Mercury.  
  
At first, Amy thought that one of the other scouts   
sent her the fax, so she decided to read the fax on   
the way.  
  
As Amy was walking to school, she read the fax:   
  
Sailor Mercury...  
  
I love you with all my heart...  
  
Amy stopped walking.  
  
...And I want to get back together with you, because   
there is something I need to talk to you about.  
  
Amy's eyes went wide open.  
  
Please meet me tomorrow at 6 PM, at the Tokyo train   
station, track 19.   
  
I'll see you there.  
  
XOXO  
  
Amy thought for a moment, then opened up her   
wristwatch communicator and contacted Raye, who was   
on her way to school, too.  
  
"Raye, can the scouts meet up today inside your   
shrine?" Amy asked.  
  
Raye replied, "Amy, I thought you were smart!   
Chuckle we always meet here on Thursday   
afternoons!"  
  
"Oh dear, that's right, well anyway, I need to talk   
to you about some things."  
  
"Wow," Raye said, surprised. "It isn't that often   
that you want to talk! All you normally do is study   
more than listen to us talk about stuff... ok, I'll   
tell the other scouts and we'll see you this   
afternoon."  
  
"Ok, have a nice day, Raye. Good bye!"  
  
  
End of Chapter 1  
  
So, how will Amy be able to describe the dream that  
she had? And who wrote that love letter?  
  
Find out in the next chapter of, THE SAGA OF MERCURY. 


	2. Could It Be Him?

DISCLAIMER  
  
As usual, "Sailor Moon" and all related characters  
are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, TOEI  
Animation and other agencies.  
  
The Saga of Mercury story is copyrighted by me, however  
some content in later chapters is based on the Mercury  
Knight Stories as described in the Chapter 1 Introduction.  
  
Please feel free to write a critique or send your  
comments to HRFANNY@AOL.COM with the subject line,  
in all caps, SAGA OF MERCURY. If you do not do this  
then the filter will block your e-mail.  
  
NOTE:  
Although most of the chapters can pass with a rating of PG,  
some of the chapters, especially those with attack scenes,  
necessitate a PG-13 rating.  
Therefore, I have given the entire story a rating of PG-13.  
  
  
******  
You can view released chapters in PDF format by visiting:  
http://members.aol.com/jrhorse98/sagaofmercury/index.html  
The Saga of Mercury is also available in text format at  
http://www.fanfiction.net  
http://www.moonromance.com  
******  
  
  
The Saga of Mercury  
Chapter 2  
Could It Be Him?  
  
"Woo! Amy has an admirer! Amy has an admirer!" Serena   
blurted inside Raye's room at the Hikawa Shrine.   
"Some guy, who must be a hunk, wants to get back   
together with you! It must be true love, like me and   
Darien!"  
  
At that, Serena started dancing around the room,   
blurting things like "Darien and I are the perfect   
match!" Teardrops went over everyone's head, except   
for Rini, who stopped Serena in her tracks. "What are   
you talking about??" she demanded. "Darien is MINE!   
MINE, MINE, MINE!" Everyone fell over.  
  
Lita was able to break Serena and Rini up before they   
went at it in a tongue-sticking war. "Cool it off,   
you guys! Besides, we're talking about Amy's crush   
here, not about Darien."  
  
"Crush?" said Amy. "Well, I don't know if I would   
call him a crush, but..."  
  
"What do you mean," exclaimed Mina. "I can't believe   
you said that. Some guy likes you a lot and you want   
to shrug him off like that?"  
  
"Mina, it's like I've told you before... in order for   
me to be successful in life, I need to be successful   
in the classroom, and that means I need to study.   
Studying and exercising my brain are the two most   
important things in life for me right now. I don't   
have any time for crushes, or admirers, or   
boyfriends."  
  
"Calm down, Amy," said Artemis, "you said there was   
something else you wanted to talk about."  
  
"Oh yes," said Amy, "and I'm not sure whether or not   
it is connected with this letter. I had a horrible   
nightmare last night. In that bad dream, I dreamt   
that I was the Princess of Mercury."  
  
"The Princess of Mercury?" asked Luna. "Go on, what   
happened?"  
  
"The Negaverse was attacking my planet, and when I   
thought everything was over and I was about to die,   
someone rescued me and swooped me to safety."  
  
"Gee," said Serena, "you actually used the word   
'swoop'!"  
  
Amy glanced at Serena briefly before continuing.  
  
"So I was rescued by this man who I called 'Mercury   
Knight'."  
  
Luna and Artemis looked at each other.  
  
"I really don't know why I called him that, but he   
was the most beautiful, and most handsome man I have   
ever seen. I could see his brightness and   
intelligence in his eyes."  
  
The five other girls were staring at her, eyes wide   
open and mouths gaping.  
  
Amy, teardrops on her head, said "Guys, be serious!   
Do you want me to continue or not?"  
  
Raye shook her head. "Er... uh... Sorry, Amy. Anyway, did   
this Mercury Knight guy look familiar?"  
  
"I really don't know. I wish I did. But something   
inside me said, I know this person and I've seen him   
before..."  
  
Artemis walked forward. "Well, Amy, this is serious,   
for everyone."  
  
"What? Everyone?" Lita said, puzzled.  
  
"Yes," said Luna, "There is something about your past   
that you must know, but right now, Artemis and I   
don't think it's the right time to tell you."  
  
"OK," said Raye and Amy.  
  
"That's cool," said Lita.  
  
"I understand," said Mina.  
  
"WHAT??? WHY WON'T YOU TELL US ABOUT THIS???" yelled   
Serena. "I AM THE MOON PRINCESS AND I ORDER YOU TO   
TELL ME WHAT IS GOING ON!!!"  
  
"And as your future advisor, I must refuse." Artemis   
said, shaking his head. "Calm down, when the time is   
right, you'll know, and so will others."  
  
"Others?" asked Rini.  
  
"Yes, but actually I stand corrected, this doesn't   
involve you," said Luna.  
  
Rini frowned and stamped her foot in disgust.   
"Ooooh!"  
  
"But you'll be interested in what we have to say,   
don't worry."  
  
"Now, ladies," said Artemis, "about this guy who's   
coming to Tokyo tomorrow to see Sailor Mercury..."  
  
"ROWR!" went Luna. "Artemis! How could you! You are   
actually interested in a girls conversation about   
Amy's admirer??"  
  
"Yes I am, Luna", he replied. "First, the letter was   
addressed by name to Sailor Mercury, not to Amy."  
  
"That's right," Amy continued, "and that means this   
person knows that I am Sailor Mercury."  
  
"I betcha it's one of those Negaverse creeps," Lita   
snapped. "Who else could it be?"  
  
"I think I know who it is," replied Amy.  
  
"Who?" the others asked.  
  
"It's... it's..." Amy said as her cheeks started to turn   
red.  
  
"Amy..." Serena said in an inclined voice.  
  
Amy's cheeks were redder than a radish at this point,   
and tears started to stream from her eyes.  
  
"It's... Greg!"  
  
The other girls reacted in awe.  
  
"Of course! How could we have been so stupid," Mina   
said in disbelief. "Worse, how could you not have   
known, AMY?"  
  
"Oh... no Mina, I had a feeling that it would be him...   
but it's just that..."  
  
"Aw, Amy," said Serena, "if he sticks around, you'll   
finally have a steady guy just like the rest of us!"   
  
A sweatdrop appeared on Amy's head after the way   
Serena spoke that sentence. Then Amy started to   
remember her dream.  
  
"Could HE be the Mercury Knight?"  
  
"It's a good hypothesis if he knows who you really   
are," said Artemis. "Amy, you'd better go to the   
train station tomorrow night and see if it really is   
him."  
  
"Oh... I'm so nervous! What if this doesn't work out?   
Greg and I haven't seen each other in years! And he   
hasn't called me in months! We've had so much time   
apart."  
  
Raye exclaimed, "You're starting to sound like you're   
convinced that it was Greg that sent the fax."  
  
Amy's cheeks turned red. She smiled and turned her   
face away for a moment. "I KNOW it was Greg."  
  
Serena told Amy, "Well, Amy, if it WAS Greg that sent   
you the fax, then that means Greg still loves you...   
because the fax said so! And I hate to break this to   
you, but I think you and Greg were made for each   
other."  
  
"You really think so?" asked Amy. Serena nodded her   
head with a confident "mm-hmm."  
  
"Yeah, you spend your time just studying and   
studying," Lita said, "and have very little free   
time. Back then, if you had free time, it was with   
Greg."  
  
"You two had a very close relationship," Mina said.   
"You'd do things with him that we thought you   
wouldn't be interested in doing, such as going to the   
amusement park and gobbling down ice cream!"  
  
"Have you ever kissed him?" asked Serena.  
  
Amy struggled to answer. "Uh.. yes.. on the cheek many   
times."  
  
"Uh-uh," responded Serena, "you know where I'm   
getting, don't you?"  
  
"Huh? Oh, there.." Amy was embarrassed. "Uh.. no.." Her   
entire face turned red.  
  
"If you see him at the train station tomorrow, you   
should try to kiss him... that will let him know that   
you still love and care for him after all this time,"   
said Raye.  
  
"Thanks Serena, everyone," said Amy. "I will meet him   
at the train station tomorrow, alone."  
  
"HEY! WHY CAN'T WE GO???" shouted all the girls   
except Raye.  
  
"This is just between Greg and myself. I don't want   
anyone following me tomorrow night at the station.   
OK?"  
  
"Okay" said Serena, Lita, Mina and Rini, fingers   
crossed behind their back.  
  
Sweatdrops appear on Luna and Artemis' heads.  
  
"Well, I can't go one way or the other," Raye said,   
"Tomorrow I have to clean up the whole shrine with   
Chad. It's the monthly cleaning, and grandpa's so   
strict about clean ups that he never lets us out   
until we're done!"  
  
Serena picked up and asked, "Do you mind if I go over   
this love letter again?"  
  
Amy sighed and said, "Sure."  
  
Serena read out loud: "Sailor Mercury, da-da-da-da-  
da-da-duh, da-da-da-da-da-dah-dum, 6 PM... track 19...   
see you there, XOXO."  
  
"HEY!" said Serena. "Greg likes women's clothes??"  
  
Everyone fell on the floor, big sweatdrops on their   
heads.  
  
  
End of Chapter 2  
  
Amy is convinced that it's Greg that is coming to  
see her. Is Amy correct?  
  
Will Serena travel to the train station as well,  
against Amy's wishes?  
  
And will Raye have an adventurous time cleaning at  
her shrine?  
  
Find out in the next chapter of, THE SAGA OF MERCURY. 


	3. Amy's Big Moment

DISCLAIMER  
  
As usual, "Sailor Moon" and all related characters  
are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, TOEI  
Animation and other agencies.  
  
The Saga of Mercury story is copyrighted by me, however  
some content in later chapters is based on the Mercury  
Knight Stories as described in the Chapter 1 Introduction.  
  
Please feel free to write a critique or send your  
comments to HRFANNY@AOL.COM with the subject line,  
in all caps, SAGA OF MERCURY. If you do not do this  
then the filter will block your e-mail.  
  
NOTE:  
Although most of the chapters can pass with a rating of PG,  
some of the chapters, especially those with attack scenes,  
necessitate a PG-13 rating.  
Therefore, I have given the entire story a rating of PG-13.  
  
  
******  
You can view released chapters in PDF format by visiting:  
http://members.aol.com/jrhorse98/sagaofmercury/index.html  
The Saga of Mercury is also available in text format at  
http://www.fanfiction.net  
http://www.moonromance.com  
******  
  
  
The Saga of Mercury  
Chapter 3  
Amy's Big Moment  
  
"Hut, two, three, four! Hut, two, three, four!"   
Grandpa said as he marched around the front of   
the Hikawa Shrine. "Clean up, clean up! We've   
got to keep this place nice and tidy for our guests   
and ourselves! Clean up! Clean up!"  
  
Raye was sweeping the balcony of the fire room   
with her broom. Ugh, she thought to herself, it   
seems as if Grandpa's been doing this marching   
thing for ages. Why doesn't he stop?  
  
Grandpa continued to talk and march, around to   
the back..  
  
Chad was moving some things around, when he   
shuddered and pressed hardly on his forehead   
with his hands. "UHH! YAAAAH!" ye yelled.  
  
Raye heard his screams and ran inside. "Chad!   
What's wrong," she asked.  
  
"Uh.. nothing, I'm fine," Chad said. He started   
laughing. "Ha, ha, ha, nothing, Raye, I'm ok!"  
  
"CHAD, stop covering like that and tell me   
what's going on," Raye demanded with mean eyes   
staring at him.  
  
"Uh, well, if you have to know," said Chad, "I   
was just moving this box when I felt something   
strange on my head, I felt something hot on my   
forehead, then I thought of you, and then that   
was it."  
  
"Oh, how sweet," Raye said in a firm voice.   
"Now up you go! Hut, two, three, four!"  
  
Chad got up as quickly as he could and   
continued moving the box, working twice as   
fast.  
  
"Hut, two, three, four!" Raye yelled, following   
Chad all the way down through the hallway.  
  
  
Meanwhile, in central Tokyo...  
  
Amy arrived at the Tokyo train station half an   
hour early. She was wearing a bright, blue   
dress with blue star earrings, a blue pearl   
necklace and blue dress shoes. Amy really stood   
out that day over everyone else that was in the   
terminal.  
  
Amy didn't know that, sitting on the mezzanine   
in the train station, wearing wide sunglasses and   
classy handkerchiefs around their heads, and   
sporting fur coats of the poorest quality, were   
Serena, Lita, Mina and Rini.  
  
"There she is," Lita said quietly to the   
others.  
  
"She's beautiful!" exclaimed Rini.  
  
"Wow, she looks very pretty for such an   
IMPORTANT occasion..." Mina said.  
  
"If it IS Greg, that is," added Lita.  
  
They spotted Amy walking to the corridor that   
would take her to track 19.  
  
"Let's go!" said Serena.  
  
The four of them sneaked downstairs and   
followed Amy to track 19. Amy walked down to   
the middle of the platform, while the other   
girls went to what looked like a perfect hiding   
spot: one corner of the platform area had a   
trash can, a small shrub and a column, all   
together.  
  
"I'm so excited!" whispered Rini. Rini was so   
excited that she didn't notice that her   
handkerchief, which kept her hair tied up, was   
becoming undone.  
  
YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE, the PA Announcer said.   
SHINKANSEN KODAMA TRAIN NUMBER 420 FROM OSAKA   
IS NOW ARRIVING ON TRACK 19.  
  
Amy, with gleaming eyes and a beaming smile,   
watched as the train pulled into the station.   
The train's sleek aerodynamic nose slowly crept   
in, leading a parade of white colored rail   
cars. The white cars reflected the rays of the   
sun setting behind the train's path.  
  
After the train came to a complete stop, the   
passengers started disembarking.   
  
The first one off of the train, the conductor,   
spotted Amy's bright blue dress right away,   
bowed to her and said, "Good evening, miss,   
might I say that you are looking very nice   
tonight?"  
  
"Uh, thanks!" replied Amy.  
  
"You're welcome," said the conductor. "Have a   
nice day!" he said as he started helping   
passengers out.  
  
Surprisingly, there seemed to be more   
passengers waiting for this train to go back to   
Osaka than there were passengers coming off of   
it. Which meant that it was very easy for Amy   
to be able to spot...  
  
"GREG!" yelled Amy.  
  
Greg, donned in his dark brown sports jacket,   
stepped off of the train about twenty yards   
down the platform, got his luggage together,   
and then spotted someone in a bright, blue   
dress. "AMY!" he yelled.  
  
Amy ran down the platform like she had never   
run before.  
  
Greg wanted to run up the platform, but had to   
walk, or else his arm would come off from the   
weight of the luggage.  
  
"It's Greg!" said Rini from behind the shrub.   
"Quiet, you brat!" replied Serena in a soft   
voice.  
  
Amy was still running toward Greg. When she got   
close, Greg set his luggage on the floor and   
opened his arms. "Hey, Amy!"  
  
"Oh, GREG!" Amy shouted as she leaped into his   
arms. It was a tight embrace. Greg started to   
say, "How are you.." then stopped when he gazed   
at Amy's bright blue eyes. They held each other   
tightly and continued to look at each other.  
  
This could be it!, thought the hiding Serena.  
  
Amy started to bend her face toward Greg's, and   
then Greg bent his face forward.  
  
They closed their eyes.  
  
They shared a romantic kiss that was as soft   
and as sweet as cotton candy. It was their very   
first kiss together.  
  
"Well, uh, did you get the fax, or are you   
happy to see me, or what?" asked Greg, smiling.  
  
"Oh Greg! I don't want this moment to end!" Amy   
hugged Greg again.  
  
Meanwhile, Serena, Lita, Mina and Rini were   
looking in awe from behind the shrub. Rini   
said, "Wow, they look so happy and romantic!"   
As she said this, her handkerchief fell off of   
her head, and her pink hair stuck out. None of   
the girls noticed because their eyes were   
focused like laser beams on Amy and Greg.  
  
Amy and Greg were still hugging, when Greg   
noticed something down the platform. Greg let   
go of Amy and took a few steps.  
  
"What is it, Greg?" asked Amy.  
  
"Amy, come here a sec.." Greg said, pointing to   
a small shrub about thirty yards away. "Uh,   
Amy, I don't know what you think, but do   
evergreen trees have pink leaves?"  
  
Amy stared down the corridor and saw pink hair,   
styled exactly like Rini's hair, sticking out   
from behind the shrub.   
  
"Oh no! They're here!"  
  
"Who's here?" asked Greg.  
  
"Uh.. Greg," Amy said, sweatdrops beaming on her   
head, "why don't we take the rear exit?"  
  
"Amy, are you sure about that?"  
  
"Please, Greg," she said with beaming eyes.  
  
"Okay," Greg said with a smile.  
  
They walked toward the rear exit. Serena jumped   
out and said to the others, "Hey! They're going   
the wrong way!"  
  
"Let's go after them," said Mina.  
  
They all walked out and started running down   
the platform bay in a tight pack. A few steps   
later, Serena trips over the bottom of her   
coat, and everyone behind her fall over like   
dominoes. "OW!" they said as they tumbled over.  
  
A man in a dark uniform then stepped up to the   
pile of girls. "I'm sorry ladies," said the   
guard, "but you're not allowed here. I'll have   
to escort you to the exit now."  
  
"Oh... IT'S NOT FAIR!!" yelled Serena.   
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!"  
  
The other girls had huge sweatdrops on their   
faces as they struggled to get up while   
listening to the crybaby.  
  
But Amy and Greg didn't seem to pay any   
attention to them, as they walked down towards   
the exit. One of Greg's hands was clutched on   
the luggage; the other was clutched on Amy's   
hand. They looked at each other smiling as they   
walked out of the train terminal, the sun   
coming down after a very bright and happy day.  
  
  
  
Now that Greg and Amy are back together again,  
what is it that Greg wants to talk to her about?  
  
Find out in the next chapter of, THE SAGA OF MERCURY. 


	4. The Negaverse Butts In

DISCLAIMER  
  
As usual, "Sailor Moon" and all related characters  
are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, TOEI  
Animation and other agencies.  
  
The Saga of Mercury story is copyrighted by me, however  
content in some chapters is based on the Mercury  
Knight Stories as described in the Chapter 1 Introduction.  
  
Please feel free to write a critique or send your  
comments to HRFANNY@AOL.COM with the subject line,  
in all caps, SAGA OF MERCURY. If you do not do this  
then the filter will block your e-mail.  
  
NOTE:  
Although most of the chapters can pass with a rating of PG,  
some of the chapters, especially those with attack scenes,  
necessitate a PG-13 rating.  
Therefore, I have given the entire story a rating of PG-13.  
  
******  
You can view released chapters in PDF format by visiting:  
http://members.aol.com/jrhorse98/sagaofmercury/index.html  
The Saga of Mercury is also available in text format at  
http://www.fanfiction.net  
http://www.moonromance.com  
******  
  
  
The Saga of Mercury  
  
Chapter 4 - The Negaverse Butts In  
  
"What a cute... sweet... happy couple! Heh, heh,   
heh, heh!!!"  
  
Queen Sorinya was looking at the scene through   
her mirror, from her chamber in the Negaverse.   
She wore a ruby red and black dress with dark,   
long hair and an inverted crescent on her   
forehead, which meant she was from the Negamoon   
family. Queen Sorinya was Bertie's cousin, and   
shared the same evil feelings that Bertie once   
did about Sailor Mercury.  
  
"Bertie was healed by that stupid Serena.. that   
Sailor Moon girl," said Sorinya. "So I'm the   
only one left in this side of the family that   
hates Amy Mizuno.. Sailor Mercury. I'll take   
care of her now. She's in love with that young   
guy down there. He will serve as an easy   
distraction from Amy's studies. Then when the   
time comes, I'll go down there and kill her   
myself! And as for the guy, "GREG", he's no   
threat at all.. I'll just take away all of his   
energy!  
  
"Sailor Mercury first... then I can take out the   
other Sailor Scouts... THEN, THE WORLD WILL BE   
ALL MINE!" she yelled.  
  
"But first," she said with an evil look, "Amy   
must go....."  
  
Meanwhile...  
  
"Well, Amy, you are the one true and close   
person that I know," Greg said in the den in   
Amy's house. "I need to talk to you about   
something. Now that I'm back around here with   
my dad.. he'll be staying put here for a while..   
this is the perfect opportunity.  
I've been having the same dream every single   
night for the past few weeks."  
  
Amy said, "You've had a dream? That's strange,   
because I've been having one too!"  
  
"Well, anyway..." Greg started...  
  
"I'm sorry to interrupt," said Amy, sipping on   
her lemonade, "but was this dream about being   
on a planet and saving a princess from some   
dangerous, dark force that was coming her way,   
and bringing her to safety?"  
  
Greg's eyes went wide open. "You... you know   
about this? Hang on... You haven't been having   
the same dream, have you?"  
  
"Yes, I have," said Amy. "I was the princess,   
and it seemed that you were the one that saved   
me."  
  
"So it WAS you!" Greg said, putting his hand on   
Amy's. "I knew it! At first I couldn't tell by   
the face exactly who the princess was, but   
later on I found out that she had short blue   
hair. And, just who around here has the most   
beautiful and the loveliest short blue hair?  
  
"I don't know," said Amy, blushing and smiling.   
"Who?"  
  
Greg smiled. "Hey, your mother is not here.   
So..." he said, as he started to lean toward her,   
"why don't we settle down... get together... and.."  
  
Amy closed her eyes.  
  
"...Play chess?"  
  
Amy opened her eyes, looked at Greg, and nodded   
her head in excitement.  
  
Greg laughed and said, "I think the last time   
we played chess we ended up in a stalemate."  
  
As Greg started to set up the chessboard, he   
said to Amy, "By the way, Amy, I knew you were   
the princess, but I never knew who I was."  
  
Amy started to say, "Well if I remember   
correctly... I called you..."  
  
She was cut off by a gust of wind that came   
from a wall inside the room. Greg and Amy were   
blown away from the chessboard. All of the   
chess pieces were sprawled across the room, and   
Amy's lemonade was spilled on the floor.  
  
Greg yelled, "What's happening?"  
  
Suddenly, a figure appeared in the room near   
the same wall where the wind blew. She was   
wearing lime green pants, a light pink vest,   
colorful makeup, blond hair worn up, and had a   
white crystal with a dark inverted moon on her   
forehead.  
  
"Oh no! She's from..." cried Amy.  
  
"...The Negamoon!" yelled Greg, as his psychic   
powers from being one of the original rainbow   
crystal holders returned to him. Then he turned   
to Amy and said, "Don't worry if I freeze up on   
you all of a sudden."  
  
"Greg, what are you talking about?" yelled Amy.  
  
"GREETINGS, you pathetic and weak teenagers! I   
am Aquina, servant of Queen Sorinya of the   
Negaverse! I am here to find the one they call   
Amy Mizuno."  
  
Greg stepped forward. "Well, I'm sorry to   
bother you, miss Aquina, but you can't touch   
Amy Mizuno!"  
  
"And just why not?" she asked.  
  
"Because I am Greg Urawa," he said, "and you're   
going to have to get through me, first! I love   
Amy with all of my heart, and I won't let you   
harm her!"  
  
"Greg, what are you doing?"   
  
"Very well," she replied. "I wanted to take   
some of your energy, but it looks like I'm   
going to have to kill YOU as well!"  
  
With that she aimed her hand at Greg.   
"YAAAAAHHHH!" he yelled as he was sent flying   
to the wall. Greg's head hit the wall before he   
fell on the floor.  
  
"GREG!" Amy yelled.  
  
"GREG! GREG!" Aquina said, mocking Amy's voice.   
"Greg's no more, and so are you! PREPARE TO   
DIE!"  
  
With that, Amy had no choice but to pull out   
her transformation pen.  
  
"MERCURY STAR..."  
  
"Star, shmar." Aquina took out a whip and hit   
Amy's hand, sending the transformation pen   
flying. "LASER FREEZE!" Aquina yelled. A laser   
beam was shot directly at Amy.  
  
Amy sent out a pealing scream and shut her   
eyes.  
  
"Oh, too bad," the enemy said.  
  
Amy opened her eyes and saw Greg's body in   
front of her, frozen in ice. Greg ran in front   
of Amy and the laser hit him instead.  
  
"NO!!!" Amy screamed.  
  
Aquina said, "So what? That's one down and one   
to go!"  
  
Amy started to grab her wrist communicator. She   
pressed the alert button... but then looked at   
Greg, and thought to herself, No. This is   
something I must do on my own.  
  
"LASER FREEZE!" Aquina yelled, sending another   
laser toward Amy. Amy tumbled out of the way,   
and the laser froze the Television instead.   
While the laser hit the TV, Amy grabbed her   
transformation pen from the floor and yelled,   
"MERCURY STAR POWER!"  
  
Amy felt a cool sensation, as she was covered   
with blue stars and bubbles, and transformed   
into Sailor Mercury.  
  
"So, it's you!" said Aquina.  
  
"You who feel like carrying out a personal   
vendetta against me, you have no heart by   
wanting to continue after you froze Greg like   
that. The Negamoon must be stopped, and that   
means you. I am the sailor-suited pretty   
soldier of intelligence! I AM SAILOR MERCURY!   
On behalf of the planet Mercury, I shall punish   
you!"  
  
"Just try me, Mercury!" Aquina yelled, sending   
her whip toward Sailor Mercury again. This time   
the whip seemed to be full of electricity,   
yearning for energy. "DIE!"  
  
Sailor Mercury tumbled out of the whip's path   
several times, then used a free moment to cross   
her arms above her head...  
  
"SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!"  
  
A stream of water slammed squarely into Aquina.   
"NO!!!" Aquina yelled as she faded away. When   
it was all over, a white diamond with the   
inverted moon symbol fell down on the floor,   
and the crystal's color faded away.  
  
Sailor Mercury immediately turned her attention   
to Greg.  
  
"GREG!" yelled Mercury, whose hands were   
pressing against the ice that was enveloped   
around him.  
  
"GREG!" she yelled several more times, banging   
hard on the ice until she gave up. Glowing   
streams of tears came down from her eyes.   
"NO!!!!! G... G... GREG!!!!!" She sobs loudly.  
  
**********  
  
Is it too late? Is Greg gone for good?  
  
Find out in the next chapter of, The Saga of   
Mercury. 


	5. Mercury Knight Revealed

DISCLAIMER  
  
As usual, "Sailor Moon" and all related characters  
are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, TOEI  
Animation and other agencies.  
  
The Saga of Mercury story is copyrighted by me, however  
content in some chapters is based on the Mercury  
Knight Stories as described in the Chapter 1 Introduction.  
  
Please feel free to write a critique or send your  
comments to HRFANNY@AOL.COM with the subject line,  
in all caps, SAGA OF MERCURY. If you do not do this  
then the filter will block your e-mail.  
  
NOTE:  
Although most of the chapters can pass with a rating of PG,  
some of the chapters, especially those with attack scenes,  
necessitate a PG-13 rating.  
Therefore, I have given the entire story a rating of PG-13.  
  
******  
You can view released chapters in PDF format by visiting:  
http://members.aol.com/jrhorse98/sagaofmercury/index.html  
The Saga of Mercury is also available in text format at  
http://www.fanfiction.net  
http://www.moonromance.com  
******  
  
  
The Saga of Mercury  
  
Chapter 5 - Mercury Knight Revealed  
  
"Mercury!" yelled Sailor Moon.  
  
The four other Sailor Scouts, along with Sailor   
Mini Moon, Luna, and Artemis, stormed their way   
into the den.  
  
"Oh, no. Greg!" said Sailor Mars.  
  
"He's frozen," said Sailor Mini Moon.  
  
"Are we... too late?" said Sailor Venus.  
  
Sailor Moon was starting to talk to Sailor   
Mercury, but Sailor Mars stopped her. "No,   
leave her alone," Sailor Jupiter said.  
  
Sailor Mercury was still sobbing out loud.   
Still crying, she looked at the others, and   
said, "Does it have to end this way? So soon?"  
  
Sailor Mars stepped forward. "Stand back,   
Mercury, I'll see if I can get him out of that   
ice."  
  
With Sailor Mercury back a few feet, Mars began   
to bring her fingers up to her face...  
  
"FIRE SOUL!"  
  
The fireball, thanks to precision aiming from   
Mars, slammed straight into the ice. The   
intense heat from the fireball was enough to   
melt the ice around Greg.  
  
Greg was out of the ice, but still looked   
lifeless on the ground. Mercury ran to his side   
and shook him, trying to wake him up.  
  
"GREG!" yelled Mercury. "Don't do this to me!"   
Mercury began to wail again.  
  
The other scouts were starting to get teary-  
eyed. "Poor Sailor Mercury," said Sailor Mini-  
Moon.  
  
Artemis said to Luna, "I wonder how we can get   
Greg back."  
  
While the two cats were planning a strategy,   
Sailor Mercury was having no luck with Greg.  
  
"Oh.. Greg," sobbed Mercury. "Greg, I.. I.. I   
don't know what words can describe my true   
feelings for you.." She began to remember the   
times that she spent with Greg. She remembered   
when she aided Greg after Zoycite attempted to   
steal his rainbow crystal. She also remembered   
giving Greg a new photo of herself at the train   
station, replacing the infamous "hamburger"   
photo. She remembered the first time they   
played chess. She remembered the time that Greg   
took her to the amusement park for her very   
first date. And she remembered yesterday, at   
the train station, when she and Greg shared a   
kiss of true love for the very first time.   
  
"Greg," Mercury softly said, "you are like.. a   
soul mate.. to me. The two of us were.. perfect   
together.." Mercury began coughing from all of   
her tears. "Greg.. ever since I first met you..   
you became one of the most important people in   
my life... and, now that you came back, my   
feelings for you have become stronger..."  
  
Mercury clutched Greg's limp body and brought   
it close to hers.  
  
"Greg..." she continued, "If you're gone, I just   
want you to know... that I really cared about   
you, I always have..."  
  
Amy bowed her face and leaned it against Greg's   
chest. Then she looked at Greg's face.  
  
"I love you, Greg."  
  
Mercury bowed her head down again. Her tears   
fell on Greg's mouth and cheeks.  
  
Artemis then stepped forward and said: "I think   
there's a way we could get Greg back... It's a   
long shot, but it's worth a try."   
  
Luna looked at Sailor Moon. "Use your spiral   
heart rod to try to heal Greg and restore him."  
  
Sailor Moon nodded with a confident "mm-hmm."   
She took out the spiral heart rod, twirled it   
around, and moved it into position.  
  
"MOON SPIRAL HEALING... AC..."  
  
"WAIT!" yelled Sailor Venus. "Something's   
happening!"  
  
It seemed as if a breeze was beginning to blow   
by Sailor Mercury's face, and by Greg's face.  
  
"What's happening to Greg's forehead?" said   
Sailor Mars.  
  
"Something is appearing," Sailor Jupiter   
replied.  
  
A blue light was starting to emanate from   
Greg's forehead. Amy raised her head back up,   
and looked closer.  
  
The bright blue light turned out to be the   
planetary symbol of Mercury.  
  
Sailor Mercury's eyes went wide open. The other   
Sailor Scouts gasped. Luna and Artemis looked   
at each other.  
  
Greg started to open his eyes. He had a tiring   
look on his face. "A.. A.." he struggled to   
speak. "Amy.. S.. Sailor Mercury.. Princess.."  
  
Sailor Mercury's tiara disappeared and the   
planetary symbol began to glow from her head as   
well. "Greg... Mercury Knight... My love..."  
  
"MERCURY KNIGHT?" said Sailor Moon in a   
surprised voice.  
  
"Is it him?" asked Sailor Jupiter.  
  
Artemis looked at Luna, then at the scouts.   
"Yes, see for yourselves."  
  
Greg and Sailor Mercury kissed. When this   
happened, something that was a sight to behold   
took place. Amy's tears began to float in the   
air, and started to come together to form a   
small dagger. The dagger was a small knife with   
the symbol of Mercury right above the handle.  
  
Greg grabbed the dagger, and started to   
remember everything about his past. He   
remembered the very first time that he met   
Princess Mercury, on their home planet...  
  
*****  
  
"Your highness," the herald announced, "This is   
Gregory. He has been assigned by her majesty   
the Queen to protect and defend you from any   
entity that may pose a threat to our planet. We   
may refer to him as the Mercury Knight.   
  
Mercury Knight took Princess Amy's hand and   
kissed it. "May I say," he said, "it is a high   
honor to finally meet you."  
  
Princess Amy responded by speaking as fast as a   
horse racing announcer: "Uh.. hi there Gregory..   
er, Mercury Knight, knight to meet you, uh.. I   
mean, NICE to meet you too, I really don't need   
a protector, I can defend myself because I am a   
Sailor Scout, now, I have to go now."  
  
"Go?" asked Mercury Knight, chuckling. "First,   
'now I have to go now' isn't a proper way to   
end a sentence. And second, with all due   
respect, Princess, we just met!"  
  
"Uh.. uh.. I promised to go see Serena on the   
moon.. bye!" the Princess said, running off with  
sweatdrops.  
  
*****  
  
Greg smiled, and then remembered all of the   
times that he defended the Princess as the   
Mercury Knight. Then both he and Sailor Mercury   
started to remember their recent dream in full   
detail, when Mercury Knight rescued her from   
the evil forces of the Negaverse and brought   
her to safety...  
  
*****  
  
Princess Amy was horrified at the sight she   
saw.  
  
A huge cloud of dark energy was becoming   
visible east of the Sun, and was closing in   
fast.  
  
Princess Amy thought that it could only be one   
thing. It was the Negaverse coming to attack   
her palace and her planet.  
  
"Mercury is ours for the taking!" said a dark,   
booming voice. "Then Venus, then Earth, and   
eventually, the entire Moon Kingdom! Bwa-ha-ha-  
ha-ha-ha!"  
  
Princess Amy looked back at her palace, then   
looked into the sky, and thought, Oh no! Our   
deflector shield is losing power!  
  
The dark cloud shot through the weakened   
deflector shield, and was aiming for Princess   
Amy.  
  
Princess Amy let out a huge scream, a scream   
that seemingly could have been heard for miles,   
and started running towards the palace. She   
knew that the palace would come under attack   
real soon, but had no choice but to run there,   
because her Mercury Power Transformation Pen   
was left in her bedroom.  
  
When Princess Amy was a few hundred feet from   
the palace gates, she was stopped by an   
invisible force field that flung her back to   
the ground. "Oh No!" she cried.  
  
The palace was starting to crumble into dust   
under the intense dark energy. "Mother! Father!   
Someone! Help me!" she said as she collapsed   
onto the ground, tears of sadness flooding her   
eyes.  
  
Princess Amy then turned around, and saw the   
dark soldiers of the Negaverse staring in her   
face. She tried to crawl back, but was once   
again stopped by the Negaverse's force field.   
"PREPARE TO DIE, MERCURY!" said a soldier.   
Three others stepped forward, swords drawn, and   
charged toward the Princess.  
  
The Princess, eyes opened in horror, quickly   
shut her eyes, covered her face, and let out   
what would have been her last horrifying   
scream.   
  
A few seconds later, she could feel the wind   
blowing across her face, blowing her hair back   
and blowing the tears away. She opened her eyes   
to find herself in the air, moving away from   
the palace at an incredible speed. She looked   
back to see that someone was carrying her...  
  
"Are you all right, Princess?" he yelled,   
trying to make his voice heard over the loud   
gusts of wind in the air.  
  
Princess Amy looked back... and saw holding her...  
  
"MERCURY KNIGHT!" she said with beaming eyes.  
  
"Hi, Amy," said Mercury Knight. "Does that mean   
you're happy to see me?"  
  
Princess Amy nodded her head.  
  
"Okay, everyone is safe at the palace on the   
other side of the planet. I'm taking you there   
right now."  
  
"Are my mother and father there?"  
  
"Yes they are, and they're worried about you.   
So is everyone else. You were the only one left   
there."  
  
"I was ready to fight them all on my own."  
  
"Wow, Amy, it's not that often that we get to   
see your aggressive side! Anyway, you were very   
courageous to try to save your palace, but you   
wouldn't have been successful, there were too   
many of them."  
  
Mercury Knight then held the princess closer to   
him. "Don't worry, Amy, everyone is planning   
the next attack over in the other palace." He   
then looked behind him, then back at the   
princess. "We're in the clear now."  
  
"Oh Gregory, thank you... thank you for saving   
my life," Princess Amy said with a smile.  
  
"You're welcome, Princess. It is my duty to   
protect and defend you. That has been my job   
every single day since I've known you. I must   
protect you because it is my duty... and   
because..."  
  
"Because?"  
  
Mercury Knight looked into the eyes of the   
princess.  
  
"Because... Amy... I've been a bit shy to tell   
you this, but now is the perfect time to tell   
you... that I love you."  
  
"Oh, Mercury Knight." the Princess said,   
looking at Gregory's eyes. "Before I met you, I   
didn't have time to court with other gentlemen.   
But you've been exactly that to me, and more.   
Now that we've known each other this long, and   
now that you've been truthful with me, it is   
time for me to be truthful to you...  
  
"I..." the princess started to say, bending her   
head forward and closing her eyes. "I love you,   
too."  
  
Princess Amy and Mercury Knight shared a   
romantic kiss as they flew back to the other   
palace in safety.  
  
*****  
  
Greg then clutched tightly onto his dagger, and   
said to Sailor Mercury, "I think it's time for   
me to show my true colors... MERCURY KNIGHT   
POWER!"  
  
Then Greg was raised above Sailor Mercury's   
head and transformed into a handsome young man,   
donned in a military dress uniform, with a blue   
sash and a sparkling silver sword. He placed   
the sword into his sheath and then looked at   
Sailor Mercury. He bowed and said, "Good day,   
your highness."  
  
Sailor Mercury stared at Mercury Knight... then   
ran up to him and squeezed her arms around him   
as tightly as she could. Tears from her eyes   
were now tears of joy. "Oh, Greg!" she yelled.  
  
Mercury Knight then said to Sailor Mercury with   
a smile... "Hey, Amy, is this wicked cool or   
what?"  
  
Sailor Mercury smiled and hugged him again.   
Then Mercury Knight turned his attention to the   
others.  
  
"I remember you guys!" he said. "You are Sailor   
Moon, AKA Princess Serenity... you're Sailor Mini   
Moon, or Princess Rini... you three are the other   
inner scouts and princesses from your   
respective planets... and Luna and Artemis! My   
two favorite cats! Come here you two!"  
  
Luna and Artemis took a step back, sweatdrops   
appearing on their face.   
  
"Well," Mercury Knight said, "why don't we   
continue the pleasantries. My name is Greg   
Urawa, and I happen to be the one sworn to   
protect and defend the young, beautiful   
princess known as Amy Mizuno, or, Sailor   
Mercury."  
  
Sailor Mercury blushed.  
  
"Mercury Knight, I just have one question..."   
Sailor Mars said.  
  
"Go ahead."  
  
"WHERE'S MY KNIGHT?? IS THERE A MARS KNIGHT??"  
  
"Oh yes, that's easy, if we could find him   
around here I'd recognize him instantly, his   
name is..."  
  
Luna interrupted. "Mercury Knight, you and I   
know who the other knights are, and I believe   
it's best we keep their identities a secret   
until the right time comes."  
  
"I understand you completely", Mercury Knight   
said. Then he saluted the other scouts. "Well   
everyone, if you need my assistance, do not   
hesitate to call."  
  
Sailor Moon was puzzled, but was able to say,   
"Er, well, Greg... uh... Welcome aboard!"  
  
Meanwhile, in the Negaverse:  
  
"Aquina failed me!" yelled Sorinya. "How could   
she be defeated even without Sailor Moon and   
the others there? How could she lose to Sailor   
Mercury?"  
  
Sorinya pondered her failure for a while. "And   
that Greg guy IS her protector. If I want to   
get my hands on Sailor Mercu-brat, I'll have to   
get through him first."  
Sorinya thought for a while, and then smiled an   
evil smile.  
  
"I know just the way to get through to that   
Greg, and it'll be worse, but more interesting,   
than taking his energy... BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-  
HA!!"  
  
**********  
  
What is Sorinya's next plan?  
  
And will Mercury Knight get together well with   
the other scouts?  
  
Find out in the next chapter of, The Saga of   
Mercury.  
  
[A portion of Chapter 5 is based on the   
"Mercury Knight stories" by Ryuuen no Miko.] 


	6. Is It Over So Soon?

DISCLAIMER  
  
As usual, "Sailor Moon" and all related characters  
are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, TOEI  
Animation and other agencies.  
  
The Saga of Mercury story is copyrighted by me, however  
content in some chapters is based on the Mercury  
Knight Stories as described in the Chapter 1 Introduction.  
  
Please feel free to write a critique or send your  
comments to HRFANNY@AOL.COM with the subject line,  
in all caps, SAGA OF MERCURY. If you do not do this  
then the filter will block your e-mail.  
  
NOTE:  
Although most of the chapters can pass with a rating of PG,  
some of the chapters, especially those with attack scenes,  
necessitate a PG-13 rating.  
Therefore, I have given the entire story a rating of PG-13.  
  
******  
You can view released chapters in PDF format by visiting:  
http://members.aol.com/jrhorse98/sagaofmercury/index.html  
You can also view these chapters in text format at  
http://www.fanfiction.net  
http://www.moonromance.com  
******  
  
The Saga of Mercury  
Chapter 6  
Is It Over So Soon?  
  
One month has passed. The Sailor Scouts   
are their normal selves, living life   
normally without any Negaverse threats.   
Greg has gone out with Amy on dates twice   
a week; other days they get together for   
studying.  
  
One day, Greg was alone in the Library   
trying to pick up a physics book to read.   
He took it out, but the book was in so   
tight with other books, that the other   
books fell down onto the floor. Greg   
reached down to try to put the other   
books back on the shelf.  
  
"Can I help you?"  
  
Greg looked up to see a beautiful girl   
with long, red hair.  
  
"Uh, no thanks, I'll be fine," said Greg.  
  
"Oh, I'll help you anyway."  
  
The girl helped Greg and placed all the   
books back on the shelf in order.  
  
"My name is Libro.. er.. Lillian."  
  
"Hi Lillian, I'm Greg."  
  
"Say Greg, you're cute. Do you want to go   
out for an ice cream? My treat!"  
  
"Uh, thanks, but I'm supposed to meet   
someone here shortly..."  
  
"Pleeeease, Greg?" Lillian said.   
Lillian's eyes then began to glow yellow.   
Greg squinted, and then opened his eyes.   
He seemed to be fascinated by the yellow   
light that shone from Lillian's eyes.  
  
Greg, in a voice lower than normal, said,   
"Yes, Lillian." He wrapped both of his   
arms around Lillian's hips. Lillian   
thought to herself, this is working   
exactly as Sorinya planned. Soon Greg   
will be all ours, and poor Amy won't be   
able to do anything about it!  
  
"Your eyes.. are beautiful.." Greg told   
Lillian. "Your hair.. is pretty.."  
  
"Keep going..." said Lillian.  
  
"I love you," Greg said. The two kissed.  
  
  
One week passes...  
  
Why hasn't Greg called me in a week, Amy   
thought. I call him every day and he's   
not there. I'd better go to his house to   
see what's going on.  
  
Amy took the first available high-speed   
train to Greg's stop, then walked two   
blocks to his house.  
  
Now, Greg's house was old-fashioned on   
the outside, but modern on the inside. It   
was completed about two years ago, and   
Greg and his father have lived there for   
about six months. The exterior was very   
unique, in that it had an outdoor patio   
that made a circle around the entire   
house. A swimming pool was in the back.  
  
Amy walked up the steps, and walked on   
the patio to the front door. Amy looked   
at herself in the glass pane of the   
outside door, making sure that she looked   
her best. She then rang the doorbell.  
  
"I'll get it!" said a voice inside.  
  
"No, don't worry about it, stay here,   
let's finish our science project," said a   
female voice.  
  
Amy thought to herself, I don't recognize   
that voice.  
  
A pause, then...  
  
"Yes, sweetie pie. Let's finish it."  
  
Amy recognized Greg's voice at that   
instant. "Sweetie Pie? Something's fishy   
around here."  
  
Amy decided to try the back door to see   
what the problem was. Amy walked around   
the patio to the back.. but then stopped   
in shock. Right in front of her eyes, on   
the sundeck next to the pool, Greg was   
kissing another girl with such passion   
that would have made Leonardo DiCapprio   
proud.  
  
"GREG URAWA!!" Amy yelled. She felt very   
steamed on the inside as she marched her   
way to Greg.  
  
Greg snapped, "Amy! What on earth are you   
doing here?"  
  
"WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU DOING WITH HER?"   
retorted Amy. Amy slapped Greg hard.  
  
"Um, hello, my name is Lillian.." was all   
Lillian could say before Amy shoved her   
into the pool.  
  
Amy cried her way from Greg's house all   
the way back to the train station. Amy   
ran straight to the platform edge and   
looked frantically to see if a train was   
coming. A train was definitely coming...   
too fast. The train, traveling on the   
express track, whizzed by Amy in four   
seconds.  
  
A man stepped up to Amy and said, "Excuse   
me, miss. The next train to Tokyo arrives   
in 15 minutes... Oh goodness, are you all   
right?"  
  
"I'll be fine, thank you," was Amy's   
reply.  
  
Amy took a few steps and sat herself down   
on the bench next to the platform. Other   
than Amy, the man that spoke with her,   
and the station agent, the entire   
platform was empty. Amy was crying, and   
felt hurt inside. She thought to herself:   
Why? Why did this have to happen? Why did   
he kiss that girl? Is that what he's been   
doing all week long... hang out with her?  
  
Amy then lifted her head and saw a figure   
approach her.  
  
"Hello Amy Mizuno, I finally have you in   
my grasp," said an evil voice.  
  
"What?" said Amy.  
  
Amy saw a purple figure with long black   
gloves, tied-back red hair, a book and a   
pencil. On the cover of the book she was   
holding was the inverted crescent moon   
symbol. "Libroria is my name, writing   
books is my game!"  
  
"Oh no!" yelled Amy. Amy tried to run to   
the station exit, but saw the man and   
ticket agent tied to a support beam,   
gagged and blindfolded. The station exit   
was covered in stacks of books. Amy then   
turned to face her enemy and yelled,   
"MERCURY STAR POWER!"  
  
"Heh-heh-heh! Well, well, Sailor Mercury!   
The, quote unquote, 'brains of the sailor   
scouts'. Hope you like reading things,   
because I am about to write your very   
last chapter! Hyaa!" Libroria thrusted   
her pencil toward Mercury. The pencil   
turned into a sharp knife.  
  
"Oh!" Sailor Mercury gasped, dodging the   
knife. But Libroria threw more pencils at   
Mercury. One of the knives cut into her   
sailor suit, above her elbow. The force   
of the knife thrusted Sailor Mercury to   
the wall. Before Sailor Mercury could   
remove the knife, other knives struck   
her, and she was completely pinned.  
  
"Now," said Libroria, "time to close the   
book of your life! Farewell, Sailor   
Mercury!" Librora threw the book at her.   
The book turned into a ball of fire,   
aiming straight for Sailor Mercury's   
face.  
  
Sailor Mercury let out a final scream.  
  
Well, actually, the scream wasn't a final   
one, because...  
  
"MERCURY ICE SHIELD CHARGE!"  
  
Sailor Mercury looked to her right and   
saw Mercury Knight, in his attack   
uniform, cover her with his ice shield.   
The ice shield was so powerful that the   
fireball disintegrated on impact.  
  
"I don't believe it!" said Libroria. She   
tried to reach for another book, but   
realized she didn't have one. "I'll be   
back for you, Sailor Mercury, and when I   
do, it'll be your last fight!" she said   
as she disappeared in a swirl of purple   
smoke.  
  
As the Tokyo-bound train was nearing the   
station, Mercury Knight ran to Sailor   
Mercury and began to remove the knives   
that were pinning her hands. "Are you all   
right?" he asked. Sailor Mercury then   
used her free hands to shove Mercury   
Knight to the ground. "I don't need your   
help! I won't be able to trust you   
anymore, after what you did to that   
girl."  
  
"Uh.. what are you talking about," asked a   
puzzled Mercury Knight.  
  
"Just LEAVE ME ALONE!" screamed Sailor   
Mercury. Using her free hands, she   
generated a fog bubble, and aimed it   
straight at Mercury Knight. "SHABON   
SPRAY!" she yelled.  
  
Mercury Knight was covered in fog as the   
train pulled in. "Sailor Mercury!" he   
yelled.  
  
When the fog vanished, the entrance was   
cleared, the station agent and the man   
from earlier were untied, struggling to   
get to their feet, and the train to Tokyo   
was about to depart. Mercury Knight de-  
transformed to protect his identity.  
  
Greg looked around...   
  
Sailor Mercury - Amy - was nowhere in sight.  
  
**********  
  
Where did Amy disappear to?  
  
Did she end her relationship with Greg  
then and there?  
  
Find out in the next chapter of, The Saga  
of Mercury.  
  
[Portions of Chapter 6 are based on the   
"Mercury Knight stories" by Ryuuen no   
Miko.]  
  
[The next chapter, chapter 7, will be split   
into a part A and a part B. It will be released  
over a two week period.] 


	7. Failure and Restoration

DISCLAIMER  
  
As usual, "Sailor Moon" and all related characters  
are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, TOEI  
Animation and other agencies.  
  
The Saga of Mercury story is copyrighted by me, however  
content in some chapters is based on the Mercury  
Knight Stories as described in the Chapter 1 Introduction.  
  
Please feel free to write a critique or send your  
comments to HRFANNY@AOL.COM with the subject line,  
in all caps, SAGA OF MERCURY. If you do not do this  
then the filter will block your e-mail.  
  
NOTE:  
Although most of the chapters can pass with a rating of PG,  
some of the chapters, especially those with attack scenes,  
necessitate a PG-13 rating.  
Therefore, I have given the entire story a rating of PG-13.  
  
******  
You can view released chapters in PDF format by visiting:  
http://members.aol.com/jrhorse98/sagaofmercury/index.html  
You can also view these chapters in text format at  
http://www.fanfiction.net  
http://www.moonromance.com  
http://www.mediaminer.org/fanfic  
******  
  
  
WARNING! DUE TO A GRAPHIC SCENE, THE PG-13 RATING OF THIS STORY  
IS STRICTLY ENFORCED IN THIS CHAPTER.  
  
THIS SECTION OF THE STORY IS RECOMMENDED FOR READERS   
OVER THE AGE OF 13.  
  
BY CONTINUING TO READ, YOU AGREE THAT THE AUTHOR SHALL NOT BE  
HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ACTIONS OR CONSEQUENCES ON YOUR BEHALF  
AS A RESULT OF READING THIS SECTION.  
  
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!  
  
  
  
The Saga of Mercury  
Chapter 7   
Failure and Restoration  
BOTH PARTS INCLUDED  
  
"I am sorry to have failed you, my Queen,"   
Libroria pleaded with Sorinya.  
  
"Do not worry," Sorinya responded. "I am very   
pleased with your progress with Greg so far.   
Now, from studying Amy's past, she may go back   
to find Greg soon. Whether or not that actually   
happens, we must proceed with our next plan."  
  
"May I ask what that plan is," asked Libroria.  
  
"This plan will make sure that Greg and Amy ...   
Mercury Knight and his princess ... will never be   
together again! HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!"  
  
  
Amy was back in her house. Back at the train   
station, Amy had slipped onto the Tokyo-bound   
train when Greg was still covered in the fog   
generated by her Shabon Spray attack. Greg   
hadn't even noticed.  
  
The next morning, shortly after Amy woke up,   
the phone rang. Amy was still lying down in   
bed, and decided to let the answering machine   
pick it up.  
  
"Hello, you have reached the Mizuno residence.   
I am not able to answer the phone at this time.   
If you will kindly leave your name, number and   
a message I will return your call as soon as   
possible. Thank you." [BEEP]   
  
"A.. Amy, this is Greg calling." Amy's eyes   
went wide open. She started to reach for the   
receiver, but decided to continue listening to   
the message. "Amy, please answer. I'm very   
sorry about what happened..[knock-knock] [Pause]   
.. Lillian!" [CLICK]  
  
Amy screamed and turned around in her bed,   
covering her head with a pillow.  
  
The next-door neighbor, who was watering the   
lawn, could hear Amy's wailing. What's up with   
her today, she's not like that, he thought.  
  
Meanwhile, at Greg's house, Lillian was leading   
Greg out the front door. "It's a special moment   
for us," she said with glowing eyes. "What is   
it," asked Greg. "HAVE A LOOK", she said   
loudly, dragging Greg into a dark portal.  
  
Greg opened his eyes and looked around. "W..   
What's this?"  
  
Standing in front of Greg was Libroria.  
  
"Wait a minute.. I saw you attacking Sailor   
Mercury yesterday.. it was you all along??" said   
Greg.  
  
"I'm afraid so," responded Libroria. "It's all   
part of a plan to kill her once and for all for   
what she has done to our family."  
  
"WHAT!" yelled Greg. "I won't allow you to do   
that."  
  
"Actually," responded Libroria, "I don't think   
I'll be the one that does it."  
  
"What do you mean?" said Greg.  
  
At that moment, Greg found his arms and legs   
strapped on a table... and in stepped Queen   
Sorinya. "Ah, perfect." She turned to Libroria.   
"You are actually one who has succeeded. Your   
services are well appreciated. Thank you. I   
will call upon you in the future when the   
appropriate moment arises."  
  
"Thank you, your majesty," Libroria said, and   
disappeared.  
  
"Now, Greg, you are going to help us get rid of   
that Sailor Mercu-brat!" Sorinya said to Greg.  
  
Greg was shaking in fear as Sorinya approached   
him.  
  
  
The next day, Amy took the train back to Greg's   
house and rang the doorbell.  
  
The door opene... revealing a middle-aged man   
dressed in a business suit.  
  
Amy was startled. "Oh... are you Mr. Urawa? The   
one that travels a lot?"  
  
"Heh-heh, yes I am! Wait a minute, you look   
familiar... You're Amy Mizuno! I've seen you in   
Greg's pictures! It's finally an honor to meet   
you. With me traveling, and all..."  
  
"It's an honor for me too, sir," Amy responded.   
"Is Greg here? I was mean to him yesterday and   
I've come back to apologize."  
  
"Mean?" Mr. Urawa responded with a puzzled   
look. "Well, anyway, I'm afraid he isn't here   
now. At this time of the day, he's normally   
studying at the Oceanside Park, about a half-  
mile down the street. You can see if he is   
there."  
  
"All right, I'll check. Thank you very much,   
Mr. Urawa."  
  
"You're welcome, Miss Mizuno. And don't   
hesitate to stop back here if you don't find   
him."  
  
Amy made her way to the Oceanside Park. "Greg!   
GREG!" Amy yelled, searching all around.  
  
"I'm right here," said a familiar voice.  
  
Amy turned around to see the Mercury Knight.   
"Greg! What are you doing..."  
  
"MERCURY ICE BLADE CHARGE!"  
  
Amy dodged the attack. "What are you doing   
Greg?" she asked.  
  
"Who is Greg? I don't know any Greg. I am the   
Mercury Knight... defender of Queen Sorinya of   
the Negaverse."  
  
Amy gasped.  
  
"The queen has requested that I kill you, and I   
shall be successful! PREPARE TO DIE!"  
  
Amy whipped out her transformation pen and   
yelled, "MERCURY STAR POWER!"  
  
"Please stop! I'm sorry about what I did   
yesterday! It wasn't like me, and I let my   
emotions take over my senses. Please forgive   
me! I would never hurt you!"  
  
"OH SHUT UP," responded Mercury Knight. "I was   
ordered to kill you, and I will carry those   
orders out!"  
  
Sailor Mercury thought for a moment. "Then you   
leave me no choice. SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!"  
  
"MERCURY ICE SHIELD CHARGE!" Mercury Knight's   
ice shield absorbed the attack.  
  
Then Libroria appeared. "It looks like you need   
help, Mercury Knight. Allow me!" she said. At   
that point, several drones appeared behind   
Mercury Knight. It was now many against one.  
  
Sailor Mercury took several steps back. "What   
shall I do?" she said.  
  
"DIE!" replied the Mercury Knight.  
  
"NO!" shouted a voice.  
  
Sailor Mercury looked behind her and saw many   
tall shadows.  
  
"Mercury Knight, stop yourself now! You are   
being brainwashed by the Negaverse! Let us help   
you!"  
  
"Never!" Mercury Knight responded.  
  
"Well, if you want to stay on the side of evil,   
so be it, because we shall triumph over it! For   
love and justice, we are pretty-suited sailor   
soldiers! I AM SAILOR MOON!"  
  
"I am the protector of fire -- I AM SAILOR   
MARS!"  
  
"I am the protector of thunder and lightning --   
I AM SAILOR JUPITER!"  
  
"I am the protector of beauty -- I AM SAILOR   
VENUS!"  
  
"I am the sailor soldier in training -- I AM   
SAILOR MINI MOON!"  
  
"And in the name of the moon," Sailor Moon   
said, "we shall punish you!"  
  
"You came just in time!" Sailor Mercury   
responded.  
  
"Well, we wanted to check up on you to see how   
you were doing," Sailor Moon said, "but it took   
us so long because we took the wrong train.   
Blame Mars for that."  
  
"BLAME ME?" Sailor Mars yelled. "Why is it that   
you always blame me for all of the mistakes?"  
  
"Can it, guys," Sailor Jupiter said. "We have   
work to do."  
  
"Come and get us, stink weeds!" Sailor Venus   
said to the drones. The drones charged at the   
sailors.  
  
"Time to heat this battle up," said Mars.   
"BURNING MANDALA!" she yelled. The attack took   
out some drones.  
  
Sailor Mini-Moon even took one out with her   
Pink Sugar Heart Attack.  
  
Sailor Jupiter followed with "SPARKLING WIDE   
PRESSURE", and Venus used her Love-Me chain to   
eliminate the rest of the drones.  
  
Sailor Mercury yelled "SHABON SPRAY" to confuse   
Mercury Knight once again.  
  
Libroria then came forward and said, "how about   
I write a new story about the sailor scouts...   
about their defeat to me, Libroria!" With that   
Libroria took out several pencils and threw   
them at the scouts.  
  
"Watch out," Sailor Mercury yelled, "they turn   
into knives!"  
  
Sailor Venus stepped forward. "Let me take 'em   
out! VENUS LOVE-ME CHAIN!"  
  
The Love-Me chain had no effect on the knives.   
The knives struck all of the sailors, pinning   
them to the ground.  
  
Libroria took out six books with the Negamoon   
symbol. "Now for the final chapter!"   
  
Libroria started to sling the six books toward   
the sailor scouts.. then suddenly dropped the   
books onto the ground. The books burned   
themselves out. Libroria looked.. and saw a red   
rose stuck to her hand.  
  
"Tuxedo Mask!!" said Sailor Moon and Sailor   
Mini Moon with joy.  
  
Tuxedo Mask was standing on top of a tree limb.   
"Human lives are meant to be cherished. Each   
individual tries to live a happy life. You are   
taking this man's dream away by controlling his   
actions for your benefit. I will not allow it!"  
  
"Oh," said Libroria, "leave me alone. I'm   
trying to get this red thing out!"  
  
"Now, Sailor Moon!" said Tuxedo Mask.  
  
Sailor Moon wasted no time. "MOON SPIRAL HEART   
ATTACK!"  
  
"AAAAAAH!" yelled Libroria as a large heart   
punched her. She vanished in a wave of purple   
smoke.  
  
"I think we did it," said Sailor Moon.  
  
"Sailor Mercury.. YOU'RE MINE!" said Mercury   
Knight, struggling through the clearing fog.  
  
Sailor Mercury gasped then turned on her   
computer visor. "There's some kind of stone on   
his head, maybe that is what's controlling   
him."  
  
"MERCURY ICE BLADE CHARGE!" Mercury Knight   
yelled with force.  
  
Sailor Mercury took a big acrobatic leap up,   
and knocked the stone away from Mercury   
Knight's head.  
  
Mercury Knight fell to the ground. The other   
scouts and Tuxedo Mask gasped loudly.  
  
Mercury Knight struggled onto his feet.   
"Sailors! Prince Dar...ah... Tuxedo Mask! Where   
have you been?" He then looked around. "Where's   
Mercury?"  
  
"Uh... right behind you," said Tuxedo Mask in a   
low voice.  
  
The other scouts were starting to cry.  
  
Mercury Knight turned around. "You sure, Tuxedo   
Mask?"  
  
"Look down," said Tuxedo Mask.  
  
Mercury Knight looked down, and gasped. He   
collapsed onto his knees.  
  
Sailor Mercury was dead. The ice blade attack had killed her.  
  
"WHAT!" yelled Mercury Knight in disbelief. "Oh, god, now it   
happens to me. Sailor Mercury! AMY! PLEASE!!" he yelled, shaking   
her to no avail.  
  
Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars were hugging each other, crying their   
eyes out.  
  
Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus were crying, hands over their heads,   
shaking in disbelief.  
  
Sailor Mini Moon was holding tightly to Tuxedo Mask.  
  
Mercury Knight sobbed and sniffed. "AMY! I am so sorry, Amy."  
  
Sailor Moon stepped forward amid her tears, and said, "I could try   
healing her with my moon rod."  
  
Mercury Knight responded. "No, Sailor Moon, that won't be   
necessary," he said, standing up. "I know how to deal with this   
situation."  
  
With that, Mercury Knight instantaneously whipped out his sword and   
stabbed himself in the midsection. "UHH..." was his response.  
  
Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars let out piercing screams.  
  
"MERCURY KNIGHT!" Sailor Venus cried.  
  
"GREG! NO!!!!!" yelled Sailor Jupiter.  
  
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" yelled Tuxedo Mask, covering Sailor   
Mini Moon's face.  
  
Mercury Knight, blood pouring out of his stomach area, looked at   
everyone as his knees began to shake from the loss of blood.  
  
"I failed," Mercury Knight said. "I was Greg, the Mercury Knight,   
sworn to protect and defend Princess Amy of Mercury... and now, she   
is dead. I have failed at my task."  
  
"WHY DID YOU DO THAT," wailed Sailor Moon, "I COULD HAVE   
SAVED HER!"  
  
"No, Sailor Moon, I know that you are all friends and that you care for   
her as much as I do, but in the end, she is my responsibility." Mercury   
Knight collapsed onto his knees and struggled to speak at this point.   
"She died... she wanted to become a doctor... she won't be able to...   
live out that dream.. Now I must join her.... I had to do this.. to...   
myself... It was the right thing to..."  
  
And with that, Mercury Knight collapsed lifeless onto the ground, next   
to Sailor Mercury's body.  
  
Sailor Moon said, "I've cried enough already. MOON SPIRAL   
HEALING ACTIVATION!"  
  
Showers of stars appeared to fall on both Sailor Mercury and Mercury   
Knight's bodies.  
  
Sailor Mercury then moved slightly, and then opened her eyes. She sat   
up, and then looked at Mercury Knight.  
  
"Greg? GREG!!" Sailor Mercury let out a loud scream and sobbed.  
  
It seemed that Sailor Moon's healing was ineffective on him.  
  
Suddenly Sailor Mercury felt something.  
  
She took out her transformation pen... and the most magical thing   
happened. Her transformation pen telescoped out, and grew into a rod   
similar to the one Sailor Moon had.  
  
"What is that," asked Sailor Mars.  
  
Sailor Jupiter looked... and thought... and said, "The Shabon Rod? Is   
that the Shabon Rod?"  
  
"Yes," replied Sailor Venus, "I remember Artemis telling us about that   
once before."  
  
"You're right," responded Sailor Mercury. With that, Sailor Mercury   
removed the bloodstained sword from Mercury Knight's body, then   
raised the Shabon Rod high in the air, and said, "SHABON   
HEALING ACTIVATION! I hope this works!"  
  
A ray of light shone brightly from the rod, and bubbles appeared to   
absorb the blood from the ground. The bubbles then entered Mercury   
Knight's body with the blood, and the wound was healed.  
  
A minute later, Mercury Knight came to.  
  
"What... Sailor Mercury... am I..."  
  
"We're both alive."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
Tuxedo Mask walked up to him and patted him on the back. "Yep,   
you're alive all right," he responded.  
  
Mercury Knight turned to Sailor Mercury and smiled. "Then, I've   
succeeded in protecting you... Amy... my sweetheart."  
  
"Oh, Greg!" Sailor Mercury responded.  
  
They stared at each other. And they kissed. They kissed like they had   
never kissed before. Well... it was only the second time that they   
kissed each other, but it seemed that way.  
  
The other sailor scouts then approached both of them.  
  
Mercury Knight looked at the scouts and embraced them all. Then   
Mercury Knight snapped, "Hey Serena... I mean, Sailor Moon..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"What is 88 divided by 11?"  
  
"Uh, that's easy!" responded Sailor Moon. "88 divided by 11 is,,,   
er... uh... 100!"  
  
The other scouts shut their eyes and sweatdrops appeared on their   
heads. Except for Mercury Knight. "Yep," he said, smiling and looking   
at Sailor Mercury. "Everything is just fine!"  
  
  
JOIN US NEXT TIME FOR CHAPTER EIGHT OF THE SAGA OF MERCURY.  
  
[Portions of Chapter 7 are based on the "Mercury Knight stories" by   
Ryuuen no Miko.] 


	8. Meet The Knights

DISCLAIMER  
  
As usual, "Sailor Moon" and all related characters  
are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, TOEI  
Animation and other agencies.  
  
The Saga of Mercury story is copyrighted by me, however  
content in some chapters is based on the Mercury  
Knight Stories as described in the Chapter 1 Introduction.  
  
Please feel free to write a critique or send your  
comments to HRFANNY@AOL.COM with the subject line,  
in all caps, SAGA OF MERCURY. If you do not do this  
then the filter will block your e-mail.  
  
NOTE:  
Although most of the chapters can pass with a rating of PG,  
some of the chapters, especially those with attack scenes,  
necessitate a PG-13 rating.  
Therefore, I have given the entire story a rating of PG-13.  
  
******  
You can view released chapters in PDF format by visiting  
the official web site of this fanfic, at:  
http://members.aol.com/jrhorse98/sagaofmercury/index.html  
  
You can also view these chapters at:  
http://www.fanfiction.net  
http://www.moonromance.com  
http://www.mediaminer.org/fanfic  
http://www.fandomination.net  
  
Chapters are also posted weekly at the Sailor Moon newsgroup:  
news:alt.fan.sailor-moon  
******  
  
  
The Saga of Mercury  
Chapter 8  
Meet The Knights  
  
  
"What was she thinking!" Queen Sorinya yelled   
to herself. "Ooh, that's two servants wasted   
and Amy Mizuno is still alive! And Greg is back   
together with her, to make matters worse! I'll   
have to think up something else.. hmm.. I have an   
idea... it seems now that Greg and Amy are back   
on the train to Tokyo, along with all of Amy's   
friends. Maybe it's those brats that are   
standing in my way. So... THEY'RE NEXT!!!"  
  
***************  
  
Meanwhile, on the train back to Tokyo...  
  
Greg and Amy had purchased first-class   
compartments for everyone for the ride back   
east. The two were snuggled together, with Amy   
leaning her head on Greg's shoulder as they   
watched the beautiful scenery rush on by.  
  
Across from them, Serena was gleaming, leaning   
her head on one of Darien's shoulders.. Rini   
felt the same way, leaning her head on Darien's   
other shoulder. A sweatdrop appeared on   
Darien's head as the two of them grabbed each   
of his arms.  
  
Raye and Lita were stressed out at the sight,   
while Mina's eyes were fixed on Amy and Greg.  
  
Greg looked at Amy, smiling. Then he turned to   
Serena. "By the way, Serena," he said, "as soon   
as we get back to Tokyo, I need to have a word   
with just Amy, Luna and Artemis." He turned to   
Mina. "Mina, did you get that?"  
  
Mina's face was in a frozen smile as she   
continued to stare at the happy couple. Then   
she snapped out of it.. "Artemis? Oh, SURE," she   
responded.  
  
"Ok, Serena?" asked Greg.  
  
Serena was too busy doing oogle-eyes on Darien.   
Raye kicked her in the knee. "SERENA! Greg is   
trying to ask you something!" Raye yelled.  
  
"Oh so what," Serena responded as if in a   
trance. "I just want Darien."  
  
"No, I want Darien," replied Rini.  
  
"NO, I WANT HIM!" yelled Serena.  
  
"ME!" yelled Rini.  
  
Serena and Rini engaged in a tug of war over   
Darien. Then Amy put her hand between them.   
"You guys," responded Amy firmly, "stop this,   
this is the first class car and you're not   
supposed to be yelling out loud."  
  
Serena and Rini let go of Darien immediately,   
and sat up straight in their chairs, sweatdrops   
on their faces.  
  
"Uh, so, Serena," said Greg, "about Luna?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah," Serena responded.  
  
***************  
  
After the train ride, Amy and Greg got together   
with Luna and Artemis in Amy's den.  
  
"So what do you want to talk to us about?"   
asked Luna.  
  
"Well, the reason I brought you here is because   
I want to talk to you about whether or not we   
should be calling up the other knights, due to   
the latest circumstances."  
  
"The... other knights?" asked Amy.  
  
"Yes," Greg responded. "Amy, you are the   
smartest and most intelligent person out of all   
the Sailor Scouts, so you can be trusted with   
this information. We have to keep it a secret   
until the right time."  
  
"All right, Greg."  
  
"Yes Greg," Artemis said with a puzzled look,   
"It's also because you and Amy are in love with   
each other..."  
  
A sweatdrop appeared on Greg's head. "Uh.. uh..   
Amy... Amy is the smartest and most intelligent   
person of all of them. That's the reason she   
can know this. And besides, none of the others   
know who the knights are yet." He turned to   
Amy. "Anyway, Amy, I remember their Earth names   
now."  
  
"Wait, Greg," Amy said. "Before you tell me who   
they are, what exactly are the knights? What   
exactly did the guys like you do?"  
  
"The knights are highly-trained soldiers," said   
Luna, "that were chosen from their respective   
planets to help protect their planets, as well   
as the entire moon kingdom. In addition, they   
had to defend the princesses of those planets,   
the same way Price Darien defended Princess   
Serena on the Moon."  
  
"Only those who were from the inner planets   
were chosen as knights," Artemis continued.   
"The defensive powers of the outer planets were   
so strong, that they didn't require knights."  
  
"At first, the princesses were reluctant to   
have knights," Greg said, "but soon afterward,   
the princesses began to have strong feelings   
for the knights, and the knights for their   
princesses. Their feelings grew into a strong   
bond of love and friendship. For example, you,   
Amy, and myself. Then came the Negaverse's   
biggest attack in which Queen Serenity sent all   
of us to live second lives on Earth in the   
hopes that one day the Sailor Scouts would   
continue to defend the kingdom against any new   
threats that the Negaverse would throw. You   
Sailor Scouts have been fighting countless   
enemies since then, but the Knights, like   
myself, were kept in reserve until the right   
moment. Enter the point about ten days ago when   
I almost died on you in this very room, and   
became the Mercury Knight -- that, in effect, was   
the right moment."  
  
"Are you sure this is the right moment?" asked   
Amy.  
  
"We think so," replied Artemis. "We've done   
some research on Queen Sorinya's past. Sorinya   
is the big enemy now, like Queen Beryl was a   
long time ago. Sorinya loves to take her anger   
out on individuals. She tried to kill you, Amy.   
You were, and possibly still are, her ultimate   
target. Which is why the Mercury Knight was   
brought back into the picture. Now we think she   
might eliminate the other scouts in order to   
get to you. So to protect them, we are thinking   
of calling the other knights."  
  
"I wonder if the other knights know who they   
are." Amy said.  
  
"They will, once we tell them, and once they   
see the light," said Greg.  
  
"Let's settle this now," said Luna. "All those   
in favor of recalling the Knights of the Inner   
Planets, raise your hand, or your paw..."  
  
Two hands and two paws went up.  
  
"Well, it's unanimous." Artemis responded.  
  
"So who are the other knights?" Amy asked.  
  
"Just stay with us, Amy," Greg said, "and   
you'll find out along the way. In the meantime,   
we have to find out where these three guys are   
and have them meet up in one spot."  
  
***************  
  
A week later, two guys were waiting together   
next to track 16 at the Tokyo train station.  
  
"Who called us here," asked Chad, from the   
Hikawa Shrine where Raye lives.  
  
"Beats me," said Ken, Lita's ex-boyfriend.  
  
"The cards said 3 PM, Tokyo Station, Track 16,   
don't bring Raye." Chad responded. "Yours said   
not to bring Lita."  
  
"I didn't have to, I haven't seen her since...   
well it's been a long time," said Ken.  
  
They looked at a third guy walk up to them.  
  
"Are you Chad and Ken?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah," responded Chad, "just who are you?"  
  
"I'm Jamie. I just finished volleyball practice   
and ran over here to meet this deadline."  
  
"Hey Jamie, I'm Chad and this is Ken."  
  
"Hi guys! Yeah, I got this card, and the card   
said not to bring Mina. But I don't get it.. I   
haven't seen Mina in a long time."  
  
"This is like so boring," Chad complained. "I   
wonder if there's a girl that wants to meet the   
three of us in private!"  
  
"Uh.. we're in a train station, this is not   
private!" responded Ken.  
  
"Hi guys," said a feminine voice.  
  
Chad looked to his left. "Amy!" he shrieked.   
"YOU want to go out with us?"  
  
Greg, Luna and Artemis followed right behind   
her.  
  
"Hey!" said Greg.  
  
Chad, Ken and Jamie yelled, "WHO ARE YOU?"  
  
"My name is Greg, I'm Amy's boyfriend."  
  
"Well then, what's the point of bringing us   
together then?" Jamie asked.  
  
"Good grief, not even a how are you?" said   
Greg. "Anyway, I'm glad you guys could come.   
Let's take this train to the countryside. It'll   
be worth it."  
  
Greg had to coax and shove Chad into the train...   
and then everyone went on their way.  
  
***************  
  
On a remote hillside near Mount Fuji, Chad, Ken   
and Jamie faced Amy, Greg, Luna and Artemis.  
  
"Welcome, Knights of the Inner Planets!" said   
Luna.  
  
"YAAAAAAAAH!" shrieked Chad. "That cat talked!   
That cat talked! Ken, did you see that cat   
talk? Jamie?"  
  
Ken and Jamie stared at Luna as if they were in   
a trance. "Uh-huh."  
  
"That makes two," Artemis said.  
  
"I WANT OUTTA HERE!" yelled Chad as he started   
to run back down the hill. But Greg stood in   
his way. It took a minute of reassurance from   
Greg for Chad to go back and join the others.  
  
"Inner Knights of the Planets of... what are you   
talking about?!" said Ken.  
  
"Uh, that's Knights of the Inner Planets," Greg   
responded. He turned to Amy. "Guess we'd rather   
show them than make a long speech, Ames. Let's   
go."  
  
"Right," Amy responded.  
  
"MERCURY STAR POWER!"  
  
"MERCURY KNIGHT POWER!"  
  
The three guys were struck with awe. "AMY!   
SAILOR MERCURY!" yelled Chad.   
  
"Who are you?" asked Jamie, pointing to Mercury   
Knight.  
  
"I'm Mercury Knight," he responded.  
  
Ken thought for a moment.. "You.. you, look   
familiar.."  
  
"Yeah... I remember you..." said Chad.  
  
"Mercury Knight... hmm..." said Jamie.  
  
The three were all struck with thoughts... and   
soon, they started to remember their past.  
  
"Raye," said Chad.  
  
"Lita," said Ken.  
  
"Mina?" said Jamie. "Why am I starting to think   
about her all of a sudden?"  
  
"STOP RIGHT THERE!" yelled a voice.  
  
Mercury Knight turned around and gasped.  
  
"For Love and Justice, we are the sailor-  
suited... WHAT?" yelled Sailor Moon, looking at   
the three guys.  
  
"Uh, what are you guys doing here?" asked   
Mercury Knight.  
  
"You transformed, so here we are!" replied   
Sailor Mini Moon.  
  
"Oh great, the plan backfired!" said Mercury   
Knight.  
  
"Well, nobody's perfect," chuckled Sailor   
Mercury in reply.  
  
"Chad?" said Sailor Mars.  
  
"Ken?" said Sailor Jupiter.  
  
"Is that you Jamie?" said Sailor Venus.  
  
"What are they doing here?" asked Sailor Moon.  
  
"Uh.. we were just.. taking them through the   
countryside!" said a nervous Mercury Knight.  
  
"Stop, Greg," said Sailor Mercury. "Now that   
everyone's here, we might as well tell the   
truth."  
  
Mercury Knight turned toward Artemis and nodded   
to him.  
  
"Sailors... meet your knights," said Artemis.  
  
Mars, Jupiter and Venus gasped.   
  
"Our knights?" said Sailor Mars.  
  
Mars stood next to Chad, Jupiter to Ken, and   
Venus to Jamie.  
  
Chad, Ken and Jamie remembered about a time   
long ago, when they were soldiers trained to   
protect their planet and defend the kingdom and   
their planet's princess. They remembered the   
closeness that they shared with them.  
  
"I feel weird," Chad complained as the Mars   
symbol appeared on his forehead. Then he   
thought to himself, Is this the warm feeling   
that I've been having the past few weeks?  
  
The Jupiter and Venus symbols appeared on Ken   
and Jamie, respectively, as well.  
  
The tiaras on Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter and   
Sailor Venus vanished, and the respective   
symbols appeared on their foreheads. They   
started to remember their distant past, too.  
  
"Starting to remember, guys?" asked Mercury   
Knight.  
  
"Yeah," replied Chad, "I remember seeing Raye   
every day.. I protected her and our planet.. as   
the Mars Knight!"  
  
"I was with Lita all of the time," said Ken. "I   
was the Jupiter Knight! From the planet of   
thunder and lightning."  
  
"And I was Venus Knight," said Jamie, "to   
protect the love and beauty that was in   
Princess Mina."  
  
Sailor Venus blushed when she heard this.   
Sailors Mars and Jupiter got teary-eyed.  
  
"Finally," said Sailor Jupiter, "my TRUE prince   
charming!"  
  
Suddenly, daggers formed in front of the three   
guys. Each of them took the dagger with their   
symbol on it.  
  
Sailor Mars' face was beaming. "Oh Chad," she   
said.  
  
Chad looked at his Mars dagger, clutched it   
tightly, then turned his eyes toward the   
Mercury Knight. "Hey, is this wicked cool or   
what?" he said to him.  
  
"Uh.." started Mercury Knight, "...didn't I say   
that once?"  
  
"It's time to transform," said Sailor Mercury.  
  
"Okay," said Chad. "Now let's see if I   
remember... MARS... KNIGHT POWER!"  
  
"JUPITER KNIGHT POWER!"  
  
"And I say VENUS KNIGHT POWER!"  
  
"That was perfect!" replied Mercury Knight.  
  
Mars Knight looked at Sailor Mars. "Raye," he   
said, "this isn't so weird anymore. Now I know.   
It wasn't just a coincidence that I began to   
work and study at your grandpa's shrine. It was   
destiny."  
  
"Chad," Sailor Mars responded, "this proves   
that we have something special with each   
other."  
  
"Well Lita," said Jupiter Knight, smiling, "I'm   
not joking -- I broke up with Lucy about two   
weeks ago, so... can I see you again?"  
  
"Hmm, let me think..." Sailor Jupiter said,   
giving her new knight a quizzed look, then a   
joyful one. "YES, YES, YES, YES, YES!"  
  
Venus Knight chuckled, then looked at Sailor   
Venus. "I agree with Chad! This is so cool,   
don't you think?"  
  
"Yeah," Sailor Venus responded. "Now I know my   
attraction to you a while ago really meant   
something..."  
  
Jamie and Mina kissed. Ken and Lita, and Jamie   
and Mina, shared tight embraces.   
  
A red rose interrupted their kissing.  
  
"Well, look who it is!" said Mercury Knight.   
"You should remember this guy because he's our   
leader! None other than..."  
  
"TUXEDO MASK!" yelled Mars, Jupiter and Venus   
Knights.  
  
"When the threat is high, I find nothing else   
more pleasing than to see your bond of   
friendship, dedication and love continue over   
all these years. It's good to see you again."   
Tuxedo Mask said.  
  
"Now, everyone," said Sailor Mercury, "we'll   
all be ready when the time comes for new   
attacks from the Negaverse!"  
  
"WE ARE UNSTOPPABLE!" yelled Sailor Mini Moon.  
  
"Yes!" said the knights, raising their swords   
into the air.  
  
"To the past!" said Sailor Mars.  
  
"To the present!" said Sailor Jupiter.  
  
"To the future!" said Sailor Venus.  
  
"To the..." started Sailor Mercury...  
  
"UNGH!" winced Sailor Moon.  
  
Mercury Knight looked puzzled. "To the UNGH?"   
he said. "Uh... all right, to the UNGH!"  
  
"Ah... I didn't say that," said Sailor Mercury.  
  
"What's wrong, Sailor Moon," asked Tuxedo Mask.  
  
Sailor Moon was moving her legs into knots.  
  
"You've been having.. such a good time with   
yourselves... and such a LONG time.. I.. I.."  
  
"What?" asked Sailor Mercury.  
  
Sailor Moon yelled at the top of her lungs. "I   
HAVE TO GO TO THE BATHROOM!"  
  
Sweatdrops were on everyone's heads. Mercury   
Knight pointed his finger in one direction and   
said, "Uh.. the nearest bathroom is at the train   
station down the hill.."  
  
Sailor Moon ran off like a roadrunner.  
  
"...One and a half miles out," Mercury Knight   
said, completing his sentence.  
  
***************  
  
Meanwhile, back in the Negaverse...  
  
"Your majesty," said servant Eagloria,   
appearing before Queen Sorinya. "I have   
something I must tell you about, something that   
I saw."  
  
"Do not bother me," said Sorinya, "I am   
concentrating on how to get rid of Amy Mizuno's   
'girlfriends'."  
  
"But your majesty..."  
  
"LEAVE ME! Once I have perfected this plan, no   
one will stand in my way, not even that puny   
Greg who calls himself Mercury Knight! BWA-HA-  
HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!"  
  
  
***************  
  
End of Chapter 8  
  
  
How well will the new knights get along with  
all of the others as a team?  
  
And what's next on the docket for Sorinya?  
  
Stay tuned for the answer in Chapter 9 of,  
The Saga of Mercury. 


	9. First Evening Out

DISCLAIMER  
  
As usual, "Sailor Moon" and all related characters  
are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, TOEI  
Animation and other agencies.  
  
The Saga of Mercury story is copyrighted by me, however  
content in some chapters is based on the Mercury  
Knight Stories as described in the Chapter 1 Introduction.  
  
******  
You can view released chapters in PDF format by visiting  
the official web site of this fanfic, at:  
http://members.aol.com/jrhorse98/sagaofmercury/index.html  
  
You can also view these chapters at:  
http://www.fanfiction.net  
http://www.moonromance.com  
http://www.mediaminer.org/fanfic  
http://www.fandomination.net  
  
Chapters are also posted weekly at the Sailor Moon newsgroup:  
news:alt.fan.sailor-moon  
******  
  
The Saga of Mercury  
Chapter 9  
First Evening Out  
  
A majestic sunset lit up the sky in beautiful   
colors as the bullet train sped its way toward   
Tokyo. With the train's fast speed, the colors   
seemed to blend together.  
  
But to a certain number of people in two first   
class compartments, time seemed to stand still.  
  
The Sailor Soldiers, three of which just saw   
their true knights in shining armor for the   
first time, seemed to be in heaven.  
  
In one compartment were Serena and Darien, Amy   
and Greg, and Chad and Raye. In the other were   
Lita and Ken, Mina and Jamie, Rini, Luna and   
Artemis.  
  
Serena was snuggled into Darien right next to   
the window, looking at the scenery and the   
whizzing steel poles that held the train's   
overhead electrification system. She was   
spooked once or twice by the whizzing of trains   
going the opposite direction, but other than   
that... Serena... was serene.  
  
Greg and Amy read a book about scientists'   
opinions on the Periodic Table of the Elements,   
which Greg happened to purchase on a whim   
before they boarded the train; One of Greg's   
hands held the book... the other held Amy.  
  
Chad was still boasting that he was the Mars   
Knight, which left sweatdrops on Raye's head.  
  
In the other compartment, Ken was asking Lita   
how her cooking was coming along. "I'm enrolled   
in the culinary cooking academy in Shinjuku,"   
he said. "One day I have to show you what I've   
learned."   
  
"That's the spirit!" responded Lita, blushing   
slightly and placing her hand on his. "And I'll   
be around if you need any help."  
  
"Well actually," said Ken, "there's a cooking   
competition in a nearby high school in a couple   
of weeks, perhaps you can help me out with   
that?"  
  
Lita smiled and nodded her head.  
  
Meanwhile, Jamie and Mina talked volleyball.   
"I've got to see you play a game one of these   
days," said Mina.  
  
"YOU have to start playing again, Mina!"   
responded Jamie. "I don't think you've played   
in a while."  
  
"That's right," Mina said in a powerful voice,   
"I will play volleyball again, and I'll prove   
that nobody... and I mean NOBODY... messes with   
Mighty Mina!"  
  
"Ah..." Jamie had a sweatdrop on his head as he   
was trying to find words. "Well, I have a match   
in a few weeks, and I hear that there's a   
referee coming from America to officiate the   
match. They say he's really good..."  
  
Rini was talking to Luna and Artemis about the   
new members to the team.  
  
"They seem so happy, why don't I have a   
knight?" she said.  
  
Luna sighed. "Rini, we've been through this   
several times already! You are too young to   
have your own knight."  
  
"NO I AM NOT!" Rini shouted in reply, veins   
bulging from her head. Rini had now caught the   
attention of everyone else in her compartment.   
"I am a Sailor Soldier like everyone else! You   
watch, some day I'll have one! Someone who I'll   
love very much and call my own."  
  
Artemis tried to cheer Rini up... "Well if you   
had a knight now, what would we call him, the   
mini knight? If that was the case he'd be half   
your size!"  
  
Luna, Rini and everyone else in the compartment   
gave Artemis the strangest of looks following   
that failed joke attempt.  
  
Hmm, that didn't work, did it... Artemis thought   
to himself with a sweatdrop on his head.  
  
After the bullet train pulled into Tokyo,   
everyone took the subway and walked to the   
Jubban Shopping Center area to spend the night.   
They split up into two groups: The girls with   
Luna and Artemis, and the guys. They agreed to   
meet back at the Crown parlor in two hours for   
dinner.  
  
The guys decided to do some sightseeing around   
the OSA*P store.  
  
Serena dragged Raye, Mina, Luna and Artemis   
over to Bob Floy's.  
  
Amy and Lita were walking toward the   
supermarket. "So what do you think of Ken?"   
asked Amy.  
  
Lita couldn't find the right words to say for a   
few seconds. Then she responded, "Well we all   
remembered everything when we found out about   
all those guys. Ken..." Lita blushed at this   
point. "I LOVE being back together with him.   
It's perfect timing too, he became single again   
a while ago, and we both had a GREAT time   
talking again when we were on the train. He   
told me that he's in a cooking contest in a few   
weeks, and I said I would help him to prepare   
for that."  
  
"I wonder what kind of food he likes," said   
Amy.  
  
"SO... how about you and Greg? What do you think,   
now that you have a true love?"  
  
"Oh, don't change the subject!" Amy responded,   
giggling and blushing. "Well... as I'm sure   
you've seen already, we've had our share of   
good times and bad times in the past few   
weeks."  
  
"Yeah, you almost lost him one time."  
  
"And I almost lost him, too, when he was being   
controlled by Sorinya."  
  
"...Sorinya?" Lita asked.  
  
"They never told you," Amy responded, "She's   
our new enemy from the Negamoon."  
  
Lita stopped walking and put her hands on her   
hips. "Oh," she said in disgust, "I just hate   
fighting those Nega-creeps!"  
  
"Lita," Amy said, "it's our job to fight off   
the Negaverse for the good of our entire Moon   
Kingdom."  
  
"That's what you always say," Lita said.  
  
"There's another reason, too... She.. she is after   
me."  
  
"You, Amy?"  
  
"Yes, and Luna and Artemis believe that I'm the   
target... and in order to get to me, she'll use   
any means necessary, including getting through   
you, Serena, and the other girls. That's why   
the knights were brought back."  
  
"Don't worry, Amy, as long as I'm here, you'll   
be safe. You're one of my best friends... You   
know what? One day you should come over to my   
house so I can cook a meal especially for you!"  
  
"Thanks for the offer Lita, maybe I'll take you   
up on it."  
  
"Yeah, I can make you something like..." Lita was   
trying to think of some little-known food that   
she could serve Amy. Then one popped into her   
mind. "I have a lot of seafood! How about a   
nice, juicy, yellow-tailed tuna fish?"  
  
Amy's eyes bulged and sweatdrops appeared on   
her head when she heard the key phrase,   
"Yellow-tailed tuna fish." She remembered   
trying that once before, and despite her desire   
for a variety of foods, especially nutritious   
foods, this was one dish that she absolutely   
hated. "Uh, no... sorry, I've had problems with   
that. Yellow-tailed tuna fish --"  
  
Amy was interrupted by a tap on her shoulder.   
"Excuse me, miss," said a female voice.  
  
Amy and Lita turned around to see a woman in a   
green shirt with light khaki pants, sandals,   
and short orange hair. The shirt had a pocket   
with a purple fish on it. "I understand you   
hate yellow-tailed tuna fish? What's wrong with   
it? You should try it once again soon. Once you   
taste it again then maybe you'll change your   
mind."  
  
"Your point?" demanded Lita.  
  
"Oh yes, well, if you're interested in fishing   
excursions for yellow-tailed tuna, and other   
fishes such as trout, bass or snapper, I can   
help, because I represent a touring company   
that specializes in fishing."  
  
Lita's eyes beamed. "Really! Wow, tell me all   
about it, fish would make excellent main course   
dishes!"  
  
"Yep," the woman snapped. "Really, any fish,   
and any size, we can pretty much take care of   
the experience!"  
  
"I.. I'm really not into fishing that much,"   
said Amy.  
  
"Oh don't worry about it, we can make your   
experience pain-free!"  
  
"Why don't we give it a shot," said Lita.  
  
"No, wait," said Amy, "I still have my doubts.   
For starters, where will the tour meet?"  
  
"The tour," the woman responded, "meets outside   
Brighton Academy. Isn't that where you went to   
school, Amy?"  
  
"Why, yes, it was, when I was a young... wait a   
minute, how do you know my name?"  
  
"Uh... your name?? What name??" said the woman.  
  
"You said my name, how do you know it?"  
  
"Yeah, what gives," shouted Lita.  
  
OH CRAP, the woman thought. She proceeded to   
shove Amy hard to the ground.  
  
"AMY!" Lita yelled.  
  
Amy was unconscious on the concrete sidewalk.  
  
Turning to the woman, Lita yelled, "What was   
that for?"  
  
The female grinned an evil grin and took a step   
back. "Orders from my queen," she said in an   
evil voice. "Oh well, I blew my cover so I   
might as well kill her!"  
  
"You're not going to lay a finger on her!"   
shouted Lita, taking out her transformation   
pen. "JUPITER STAR POWER!" she yelled.   
Thunderbolts surrounded her, as she became   
Sailor Jupiter.  
  
The woman in the green shirt had morphed into   
what looked to be a mermaid, with a red-scaled   
body, very long orange nails and long, silky   
orange hair. The necklace that she wore   
contained a ruby crystal with the inverted   
symbol of the Negamoon.   
  
"I am Morphonia, the most beautiful of Queen   
Sorinya's servants! I have come to avenge for   
my sister, Aquina. Sailor Mercury shall   
perish!"  
  
"Not a chance," yelled Sailor Jupiter. "I'm   
going to show you what happens when you mess   
with one of my friends. I am the sailor-suited   
pretty soldier of love and courage! I represent   
thunder and lightning! I AM SAILOR JUPITER! On   
behalf of the planet Jupiter, I shall punish   
you!"  
  
"Your speeches are like a broken record!"   
protested Morphonia. "Well get ready because   
I'm about to break you!"  
  
Sailor Jupiter attacked without hesitation.   
"SUPREME THUNDER!"  
  
But Morphonia whacked the thunder back at   
Sailor Jupiter with her bright, red fin.  
  
Sailor Jupiter yelled as she was hit by her own   
attack. So much energy was drained from her;   
there were almost two unconscious bodies on the   
sidewalk.   
  
"This is too easy!" Morphonia said in triumph.   
"Now, who to get rid of first..."  
  
Sailor Jupiter tried to get up. Ken, she   
thought to herself, where are you when I need   
you the most?  
  
"You've won the draw," Morphonia declared.   
"Meet your death, Jupiter!" With that she   
extended her hand and thrusted her dagger-like   
nails at Jupiter's chest.  
  
Jupiter tried to cross her arms to avoid the   
attack. Then she heard...  
  
"JUPITER THUNDER BLADE CHARGE!"  
  
The nails were chopped in half from the   
electricity coming from Jupiter Knight's blade.  
  
"Ken.. Jupiter Knight.." Lita said, gazing at her   
knight with sparkling eyes.  
  
"You'd better wake Amy up," said Jupiter   
Knight. "The others are on their way."  
  
Just as he finished the sentence, in came   
everyone else: Sailor Moon, Sailor Mars, Sailor   
Venus, Tuxedo Mask, Mercury Knight, Mars   
Knight, Venus Knight, Sailor Mini Moon, Luna   
and Artemis.  
  
Sailor Moon was in the middle of eating ice   
cream when she transformed, and had hints of   
vanilla and chocolate on her lips.  
  
"MI MAM MAYMAA MOOF!" said Sailor Moon,   
striking her patented pose, but still stuffed   
with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  
  
Mars Knight looked at Sailor Moon and said,   
"Your entrance was, like, so bogus."  
  
"Did I hear someone say that they were   
beautiful?" yelled Sailor Venus.  
  
"HA! My long, rich hair beats yours anytime."   
Morphonia said.  
  
"Ok, no more Miss Nice Soldier! VENUS LOVE-ME   
CHAIN!"  
  
The Love-Me chain was deflected as well, and   
the deflection headed straight for Sailor   
Venus.  
  
"VENUS LOVE SHIELD CHARGE!" yelled Venus   
Knight. The shield absorbed everything. Venus   
looked at her knight and smiled, saying   
"Thanks!"  
  
Everyone, except for a dazed Amy who was   
struggling to get up, threw their best shots at   
Morphonia, only to get their attacks deflected   
by that huge fin.  
  
Mercury Knight then realized that he had a   
computer visor, similar to that of his female   
counterpart. He activated it and attempted to   
search for a weakness... but couldn't find it.  
  
"I can't find this fish's weak spot!" Mercury   
Knight yelled to Artemis.  
  
Artemis responded, "Mercury Knight, see if you   
can get Amy to transform, then you can   
interface your computer with hers."  
  
"Interface?" said Mercury Knight.   
  
"Yes," said Artemis. "Back on the Moon Kingdom,   
when some strong enemies came to attack, you   
two joined your computers together. The   
interface made your computers more powerful,   
and thanks to that, you could spot or predict   
weaknesses easily."  
  
"Hmm, okay, let's try."  
  
Mercury Knight had to get through Morphonia to   
get to Amy on the other side. He decided to run   
at her with his Mercury Ice Blade attack. The   
attack was sent up to the darkening sky by   
Morphonia's fin.  
  
He finally got to Amy who was weak in the   
knees... literally.  
  
"Hey Ames," Mercury Knight said, helping Amy to   
her feet. "Artemis says we can interface our   
visors. Transform and then we'll try it."  
  
Amy held her transformation pen high in the   
air. "MERCURY STAR POWER!"  
  
Morphonia was slamming back Sailor Mars'   
Burning Mandala attack.   
  
"Stop it, you fish!"  
  
Morphonia turned around to see Sailor Mercury   
and Mercury Knight.  
  
"I AM SAILOR MERCURY, champion of justice! In   
the name of Mercury, I will not allow you to   
continue to take batting practice using our   
powers!"  
  
"And I am the protector and defender of Mercury   
... I AM MERCURY KNIGHT! And don't you forget   
about that!"  
  
"Oh, I won't forget, but you'll soon forget   
that Sailor Mercury is alive!" Morphonia   
yelled, as she sent the nails from her other   
hand flying toward Sailor Mercury. Mercury   
Knight picked up Sailor Mercury and carried her   
out of the way before the nails were able to   
pierce her.  
  
Sailor Mercury then activated her computer   
visor. "Okay, Mercury Knight, let's try it."  
  
The two of them joined hands and concentrated.   
And soon... their visors turned from a blue color   
to a golden yellow color. Their computers were   
now interfaced with each other, and their   
scanning abilities tripled.  
  
The visors zoomed in to pick up something   
microscopic on Morphonia's back.  
  
"There's a small defect on one of her vertical   
fins," said Sailor Mercury.  
  
"You're right," responded Mercury Knight, "It   
may be like her Achilles Heel. Let's try   
targeting that."  
  
"Right!"  
  
The two let go of their hands to return their   
visors to normal, but they knew what they were   
aiming for.  
  
"Everyone! Aim for the back, just below her   
shoulders!" yelled Mercury Knight.  
  
"I'll help," yelled Sailor Mercury. "SHABON   
SPRAY FREEZING!"  
  
The attack froze Morphonia in her tracks. This   
enabled everyone to use their attacks toward   
Morphonia's back.  
  
"SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!"  
"MERCURY ICE BLADE CHARGE!"  
"FIRE SOUL!"  
"MARS FIRE BLADE CHARGE!"  
"SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!"  
"JUPITER THUNDER BLADE CHARGE!"  
"CRESCENT BEAM!"  
"VENUS LOVE BLADE CHARGE!"  
"PINK SUGAR HEART ATTACK!"  
"MOON TIARA ACTION!"  
  
Tuxedo Mask threw three roses to that same   
area, with one flick of the hand, to close out   
the attack.  
  
Morphonia screamed in agonizing pain as each   
attack hit her. The Crescent Beam attack nearly   
shattered her Negamoon necklace. When it was   
over, she was left slumped on the floor.  
  
"Now, Sailor Moon!" yelled Tuxedo Mask.  
  
"NOT SO FAST!" yelled Morphonia, breaking   
through the ice and struggling up. "You...   
haven't.. heard.. the last of me!" she yelled. A   
puff of orange smoke and she was gone.  
  
"Wha?" said Sailor Moon. "She's gone!"  
  
"Gone?!?!" replied Mars Knight. "You mean, we   
attacked her and all that, and then she just   
disappears?"  
  
"I don't get it," said Sailor Mars. "That   
doesn't happen much."  
  
"Well at least I was excited," said Jupiter   
Knight. "I think that was my first attack!"  
  
"Yeah, I really liked it too," Venus Knight   
said in agreement. "This is like making a kill   
in volleyball!"  
  
"Well, I'm glad you found it that way," said   
Sailor Venus, "because that's what fighting the   
Negaverse is basically all about."  
  
"We thought you guys were gonna have to train   
again," said Sailor Jupiter. "Looks like we   
were wrong!"  
  
"I'm hungry!" complained Sailor Mini Moon.  
  
"Okay," said Tuxedo Mask, "Looks like we're   
done for now, so let's head on over to the   
Crown for a bite."  
  
"We'll have to keep our eyes open, you guys,"   
said Sailor Moon.  
  
They all de-transformed and headed to the Crown   
parlor.  
  
As they were walking down towards the parlor,   
Greg looked to his left and noticed that the   
10-Ban Land Amusement Park was open tonight. It   
struck an idea in his head.  
  
They entered the Crown Game Center, which was   
below the parlor, and walked upstairs. As soon   
as they got upstairs, Lita noticed the special   
of the day. "Amy! Look at this!"  
  
Amy looked at the special, and then found   
herself with sweatdrops all over her.  
  
The special was, Yellow-tail tuna fish,   
customer's choice of raw, fried or broiled...  
  
Amy froze in her tracks. Greg put his arm   
around her. "What's up Ames? You look... oh," he   
chuckled, "Yellow-tail tuna fish is the   
special, eh? You won't try it again?"  
  
Amy vigorously shook her head. Greg then turned   
to the others. "Can you guys help Amy out with   
the yellow..."  
  
Greg stopped talking when he saw sweatdrops on   
Serena, Raye, Mina and Rini. They were staring   
at the specials menu in discomfort.  
  
Greg then turned his head back to the specials   
menu, and read the special again.  
  
Yellow-tail tuna fish, customer's choice of   
raw, fried or broiled... with warm shitake   
mushroom sauce, drenched or baked in. Served   
with asparagus and steamed carrots.  
  
  
***********************************  
End of Chapter 9  
  
Will EVERYONE enjoy their meal?  
  
Morphonia claimed that the scouts and knights  
had not seen the last of her... will she return?  
  
And what was Greg thinking about when he saw  
the amusement park?  
  
Find out in Chapter 10 of, The Saga of Mercury. 


	10. Do You Remember When?

DISCLAIMER  
  
As usual, "Sailor Moon" and all related characters  
are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, TOEI  
Animation and other agencies.  
  
The Saga of Mercury story is copyrighted by me, however  
content in some chapters is based on the Mercury  
Knight Stories as described in the Chapter 1 Introduction.  
  
******  
You can view released chapters in PDF format by visiting  
the official web site of this fanfic, at:  
http://members.aol.com/jrhorse98/sagaofmercury/index.html  
  
You can also view these chapters at:  
http://www.fanfiction.net  
http://www.moonromance.com  
http://www.mediaminer.org/fanfic  
http://www.fandomination.net  
  
Chapters are also posted weekly at the Sailor Moon newsgroup:  
news:alt.fan.sailor-moon  
******  
  
  
The Saga of Mercury  
Chapter 10  
Do You Remember When?  
  
"I almost failed you, my queen," Morphonia   
pleaded to Queen Sorinya.  
  
"It is my fault, Morphonia," Sorinya replied.   
"I was too busy planning something for Sailor   
Mercury and the other scouts, I didn't realize   
that they had those other knights with them...   
You have done well so far, Morphonia, now I   
want you to find a perfect moment when Amy and   
Greg are isolated. Take care of Greg first to   
get him out of the way, and then take Amy out!"  
  
Morphonia looked down at her Negamoon necklace   
that was nearly shattered from the last attack.   
Then she looked at Sorinya. "Yes, my queen."  
  
  
Meanwhile...  
  
All eleven members of the sailor team finally   
found something they could eat at the Crown.   
Especially Serena...  
  
"Yummy, yummy, yummy! Three servings of Ice   
Cream in one day! This is so good! Mm-mm,"   
Serena yelled as she dogged down on her banana   
split sundae. She stuffed a whole banana into   
her mouth. "MANT MOME MARIEN?"  
  
Darien, with sweatdrops on his head, gently   
shook his head.  
  
Rini and the others were just staring at   
Serena, waiting to finish.  
  
This was her second sundae of the night.. and   
she had a chocolate soda float in between.  
  
When it was all over, Serena wiped her mouth   
with a napkin and yelled, "YAY! DELICIOUS...   
BURP!!!"  
  
Everyone had sweatdrops on their head now. Greg   
was holding his head in disbelief.  
  
When Serena finally finished, everyone went   
downstairs to say goodbye.  
  
Serena, Darien, Rini, Raye, Chad and Luna left   
in one direction, while Lita, Ken, Mina, Jamie   
and Artemis went in another direction.  
  
That left just Amy and Greg together.  
  
Amy blushed and smiled at her handsome knight.   
"Greg... can..." She almost looked away. "Can you   
walk me home?"  
  
Greg replied, "NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT!"  
  
Amy's eyes bulged.  
  
"Just kidding!!!" Greg laughed.  
  
"Whew!" was Amy's response. "For a second, you   
scared me!"  
  
"But first," said Greg, "I was wondering if you   
have just a LITTLE bit of extra time on you   
tonight. I've got time before the last bullet   
train leaves. I want to take you somewhere."  
  
"Really?" said Amy. "I wonder where someone   
with beautiful chocolate eyes like you would   
take a blue-haired freak like me?"  
  
"Blue-haired freak? On the contrary," said   
Greg, "you look like..."  
  
Greg stopped to study Amy for a moment. Amy was   
wearing a ruffling, ruby red skirt that went   
down below her knees, a ruby red pullover   
sweater, a blue vest which was open, white   
knee-high socks and red Taryn Rose shoes. Amy's   
eyes were seeking a response from Greg.  
  
"You look like... a beautiful, gorgeous, blue-  
haired... genius."  
  
Amy covered her head with her hands, blushing   
like crazy. Greg removed her hands from her   
face, and said, "Get use to that, because I   
want you to keep your eyes closed and covered   
until we get to where I want to take you..."  
  
"Okay," Amy said, "but first..."  
  
Amy was looking at Greg's evening attire. Greg   
was wearing nice blue denim jeans with a brown   
belt, a long-sleeved yellow dress shirt, shiny   
black dress shoes and a very expensive Bulova   
watch.  
  
"You look like.. uh.. you.. you look like.. oh,   
Greg, why can't I find the right words for you   
tonight?"  
  
"Come on, you can," said a smiling Greg, "just   
think a bit more."  
  
"Okay.. you... you really look like.. a knight in   
shining armor."  
  
Greg laughed. "Works for me! Okay, you cover   
your eyes and I'll lead you toward the   
surprise."  
  
Amy followed suit. When her eyes were closed,   
Greg put his arm around her and started leaning   
forward. Amy took his indication, and started   
walking. Greg then turned her in the right   
direction and led Amy down the block.  
  
As the two of them got close to the area, Amy   
started to hear calliope music and started   
smelling the salty, buttery aroma of fresh   
popcorn.  
  
"Is this the circus?" asked Amy, eyes still   
closed.  
  
"Well, no, but you're close," said Greg.  
  
Greg stopped Amy and turned her to face the   
entrance.  
  
"Ready, Ames?"  
  
Amy nodded her head in excitement.  
  
"OPEN!"  
  
Amy opened her eyes, and then gasped in   
amazement.  
  
"An amusement park!" Amy said in delight.  
  
"Not just any park.." said Greg, "10-Ban Land.   
Do you remember this place? This was where.."   
Greg stopped when Amy turned her head to face   
him.  
  
"Yes," Amy said softly to him with a smile,   
"this is where we revealed our true feelings   
for each other and had our first date."  
  
"That's right! It was also the time that Tuxedo   
Mask almost swallowed me up in a black crystal   
for good.. but I don't want to remember that.."  
  
Amy grabbed Greg's hand tightly. "Shall we,   
sir?" she asked.  
  
"I was about to ask you that!" Greg responded.  
  
The two of them walked into the Amusement Park.   
It was 9 PM, and they really knocked themselves   
out, riding on every single ride.  
  
When it was close to midnight, when the park   
was scheduled to close, Greg and Amy made it   
onto one final ride... the Ferris wheel.  
  
"This is the best part!" Amy said to Greg as   
the Ferris wheel started to rotate.   
  
A clear night sky with many stars could be seen   
easily from inside the cab. Greg and Amy were   
holding each other close now, and staring at   
each other intensely. Greg then looked out   
another window... for another spectacular view of   
the sky. Greg then looked at the time on his   
Bulova watch, looked back outside, and said to   
Amy, "Yep, right time. Amy, look behind... oh,   
okay, wait until we get high enough again..."   
  
The cab rotated all the way down, passed, and   
then went back up again. The Ferris wheel   
stopped while Amy and Greg's cab was at the   
very top, to let out riders from another cab   
below.   
  
"Okay, now Amy, look at the sky over there.   
Notice anything? About 25 or 30 degrees from   
the horizon, and slightly right of center?"  
  
Amy looked in the area that Greg was looking   
at. Clusters of stars were twinkling brightly   
out there... but there was one very bright spot   
that wasn't twinkling at all.  
  
Amy said, "That over there... that's not a star...   
that's a planet..." Amy gasped. "No, it couldn't   
be! Is that..."  
  
"Yes," Greg responded, "that's Mercury. You   
know... it's funny to think that we're here right   
now, and yet a long time ago, we were out   
there," he said, pointing to the planet. "The   
news from this morning said that Mercury would   
be the brightest in about 75 years..."  
  
"It's beautiful," Amy said, almost shedding a   
tear.  
  
"You know, there's something else that's very   
bright and very beautiful..." Greg said, as he   
turned Amy's head towards his. "It's you. I'm   
not the one to hide my feelings anymore... I care   
about you very much, and I just want to let you   
know that I would not do anything to harm you,   
not like I did a while ago when I almost killed   
you. You, Amy Mizuno, are the brightest star in   
my life."  
  
"Greg.." Amy said as she brought her head closer   
to Greg's.. "Please... kiss me."  
  
Greg nodded his head, then closed his eyes and   
leaned forward.  
  
Piercing screams from the outside shattered   
their peace.  
  
Amy and Greg snapped out of their "trance" and   
looked out the window.  
  
"What are those people running from?" said   
Greg.  
  
"Do you see a dark shadow slithering on the   
ground?" said Amy.  
  
"Yes... but why is everyone running away? There   
are many people, why don't they just stomp on   
it or something?"  
  
The shadow slithered further underneath until   
it went out of view from the cab high above.  
  
Greg started, "Now what do you suppose that   
thing..."  
  
Suddenly, the glass in front of them shattered..   
and in slithered Morphonia. Morphonia wasted no   
time, driving the sharp nails from her other   
good hand straight into Greg's chest.  
  
"UHHH!" went Greg, who collapsed out of the   
chair and onto the floor of the cab.  
Amy gasped in horror.  
  
Morphonia then turned to Amy. "Amy Mizuno.. now   
that you're all alone, and your sweetheart is   
out of the picture, you're mine for the   
taking!"  
  
Amy went into her pocket and pulled out her   
transformation pen. But Morphonia swatted it   
away with her fin. The pen went flying over   
Amy's head and landed behind her seat. When Amy   
tried to reach back for hit, Morphonia started   
to clutch both of her hands on Amy's throat.  
  
Morphonia started to squeeze the life out of   
Amy.  
  
Amy was struggling to breathe and starting to   
turn blue. She looked at Greg, who was starting   
to turn pale from the nails that were driven   
into him. Then she looked at Morphonia.  
  
Amy was starting to pass out.. until she   
thought, I must do this for him.. and then, in a   
quick attempt, lifted up her left leg and   
kicked Morphonia straight in the chest. The   
kick shattered the Negamoon jewel on   
Morphonia's necklace.  
  
Suddenly, tremendous amounts of energy started   
to surge through Morphonia. Morphonia screamed   
and wailed in agony.  
  
When it was all over, Morphonia was moon dust.  
  
Amy took big breaths.. deep breaths.. and thought   
to herself, that simple?  
  
Then she turned to Greg.  
  
"GREG!" Amy yelled. "Don't do this to me   
again!"  
  
Greg was violently shaking in shock, his skin a   
pure white.  
  
"You're bleeding internally!" yelled Amy.  
  
Greg then clutched Amy's shoulder and struggled   
to speak.  
  
"Sha.. Sha.."  
  
"What is it, Greg!!"  
  
"Sha.. Shabon.. Wand.. use.. use it.."  
  
Amy thought, and then realized that the Shabon   
Wand would heal Greg. She reached back and   
grabbed her transformation pen, yelled "MERCURY   
STAR POWER!" and, immediately after she   
transformed into Sailor Mercury, put the pen   
over Greg and said "SHABON HEALING ACTIVATION!"   
The transformation pen changed itself into the   
Shabon Wand, and showered stars and bubbles   
onto Greg. The nails that were stuck in Greg's   
body disappeared, and Greg's skin tone started   
to return to normal.  
  
Greg regained his composure, then smiled and   
said, "You... almost lost me again!"  
  
Sailor Mercury de-transformed and helped Greg   
back to his seat in the Ferris wheel cab. By   
this point, the Ferris wheel was starting up   
again, and stopped when their cab reached the   
bottom.  
  
"My heart is aching," Greg said, clutching his   
chest with both hands.   
  
"Oh, no," Amy replied. "I'd better get you to a   
doctor."  
  
"But I thought YOU were the doctor!"  
  
"Greg, this is no time to play!"  
  
The attendant opened the door. Immediately   
after all of the moon dust spilled out onto the   
ground, Greg handed the attendant yen... lots of   
yen! "Keep going until I tell you to stop,"   
Greg said to the attendant. The attendant   
stared at the yen, which was more yen than he   
made in a week, and then nodded his head,   
smiling joyfully. He shut the door and   
restarted the Ferris wheel.  
  
"GREG! Several more times?! How could you do   
that when your heart is aching?"  
  
"Amy..." Greg said, removing his hands from his   
chest and wrapping his arms around Amy.  
  
Amy started to get the message.  
  
"My heart is aching, all right..." Greg said.   
"It's aching.. for you.. I love you Amy, you're   
everything to me."  
  
"Oh Greg," Amy said, staring at Greg's face.   
"I.. I love you."  
  
Then Amy held Greg tightly and whispered,   
"Then.. now.. and forever.."  
  
They closed their eyes and leaned forward.  
  
They kissed softly and passionately as their   
Ferris wheel cab went around and around under   
the twinkling stars of the night sky... and the   
brightness emanating from their home planet.  
  
  
****************************************  
End of Chapter 10  
  
In the next chapter, Greg will face up to his  
fears... of swimming. 


	11. Pandemonium in the Pool

DISCLAIMER  
  
As usual, "Sailor Moon" and all related characters  
are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, TOEI  
Animation and other agencies.  
  
The Saga of Mercury story is copyrighted by me, however  
content in some chapters is based on the Mercury  
Knight Stories as described in the Chapter 1 Introduction.  
  
******  
You can view released chapters in PDF format by visiting  
the official web site of this fanfic, at:  
http://members.aol.com/jrhorse98/sagaofmercury/index.html  
  
You can also view these chapters at:  
http://www.fanfiction.net  
http://www.moonromance.com  
http://www.mediaminer.org/fanfic  
http://www.fandomination.net (Note: web site currently 404'd)  
  
Chapters are also posted weekly at the Sailor Moon newsgroup:  
news:alt.fan.sailor-moon  
******  
  
  
The Saga of Mercury  
Chapter 11  
Pandemonium in the Pool  
  
The morning after the "experience" at 10-Ban   
Land, Greg was in his bathroom, sinking into   
the hot tub.  
  
The water, whose source was from the natural   
hot springs, was very relaxing.  
  
Wow, he thought to himself. Yesterday was one   
of the biggest nights of my life. We fought a   
youma twice.. and I nearly died, again. But Amy   
was there for me.. I.. I can't describe what I'm   
feeling right now. Amy is a princess.. no, what   
am I saying.. Amy is THE princess! I have never   
felt this close to Amy in my entire life.  
  
He stared at a shelf on the wall, where he had   
placed his Mercury dagger prior to taking his   
bath and reflected on his thoughts.  
  
As he exited the tub and got dressed, the   
telephone rang.  
  
Greg answered the phone... it was his dad.  
  
"Glad to see you're up, son. We haven't had   
some quality time together in a while, do you   
mind stopping by the fitness center this   
afternoon so we can jump in the large pool?"  
  
"Uh... okay," said a hesitant Greg, "but you know   
me when it comes to swimming."  
  
Greg had tried to swim before, and he was   
absolutely awful at it. He hadn't tried to swim   
in two years. Even with a swimming pool in the   
back of his new house, he was reluctant.  
  
"Oh it will be just fine, son. I'll be there as   
always to help you out. See you there?"  
  
"See you there," said Greg.  
  
Greg hung up the phone and moaned. "This is   
great," he yelled in disbelief.  
  
  
Meanwhile, back in the Negaverse...  
  
"So Greg has beef about swimming, eh?" Sorinya   
said with curled lips. Then an idea struck her.   
"I know... I'll find a youma that's strong enough   
to take care of Greg. Before I turn my   
attention to Amy, I'll make sure that Greg's   
swim is his first… and last!"  
  
  
At the Fitness Center...  
  
Greg walked to the pool wearing his trunks and   
sandals and carrying a towel.  
  
The pool area was pretty empty, save for one   
person that Greg noticed was swimming   
underwater. He found an empty beach chair along   
the side and laid the towel on that chair. Once   
that was done, he removed his sandals and   
walked along the edge to the corner, where   
steps descended into the pool's shallow end.  
  
Greg began to step into the pool. Two steps in,   
he froze. His feet were already shaking from   
the lower temperature of the water. It took him   
about two more minutes before he had the   
courage to plunge everything under his head   
into the water. He immediately started to move   
about in order to warm himself.  
  
"Scared even to get in, huh?"  
  
Greg looked halfway down the pool to see that   
the person swimming in the pool... was his own   
father.  
  
"Let's have a go at it, son," Mr. Urawa said to   
him.  
  
Greg hesitated, and then thought to himself, I   
have to face my challenges and overcome them   
someday...  
  
"All right," said Greg.  
  
"Greg, see if you can swim your way from there   
to where I'm at, which is a few feet deeper   
than where you are right now. Remember what I   
taught you before, use both your arms and   
legs."  
  
A deep breath and an "OK" was Greg's response.  
  
Greg let go of his nervousness, and tried to   
start swimming over towards his dad.  
  
Greg swam..   
and swam..   
and swam..   
  
to his father..   
  
past his father...  
  
"Greg!" said a smiling Mr. Urawa.  
  
Greg was swimming -- not like a beginner, but   
like Mark Spitz.  
  
He swam to one end of the pool, and then swam   
back to the other end.  
  
When Greg finished, he lifted his head out of   
the water and look at his dad, whose face was   
in awe and amazement.  
  
Greg took some breaths, and then said, "What..   
what did I do.. I.. don't get it."  
  
Mr. Urawa responded, "You don't get it? Son,   
that was the most impressive swim I've ever   
seen! You could be in the Olympics for all I   
care! That was.. that was surprising! You've   
made me proud, son! You must.. I know.. you've   
been practicing in the pool at our house,   
behind my back, when I'm at work.. is that it?"  
  
"Uh, I don't know what.."  
  
"Oh son, you've made me proud to be your father   
with what you just did." Mr. Urawa said as he   
waded his way over to the pool steps. "Looks   
like my job is done then. Why don't you stay in   
here a while and continue what you were doing?"  
  
Something in Greg wanted him to push on. "All   
right," he said.  
  
Mr. Urawa exited the pool, dried himself with   
his towel, and walked out of the pool area.  
  
Greg continued to swim the same way he was   
doing it before... several minutes later he   
thought to himself. How did I get so good? I   
couldn't have learned this all in one shot. It   
must have been...  
  
Just then a loud, piercing whistle blew. Greg   
turned to see a woman in an orange one-piece   
swimsuit that read "LIFEGUARD".  
  
"You, get out of the pool! We have class now!"   
she yelled in a hacking, mean voice.  
  
"Uh, pardon me, I'm the only one here in this   
pool, I'll just move out of the way to let   
you..."  
  
"NO EXCUSES! GET OUT!" she barked.  
  
Greg hurried his way over to the corner of the   
pool and over to his chair to dry off. The   
lifeguard then marched out of the pool area.  
  
Greg lied back on his chair and relaxed himself   
while drying up.  
  
Fifteen minutes pass.. Greg looks around.. and   
notices that there's no one in the pool or in   
the pool area. There was supposed to be a   
class, he thought. He stood up and walked   
toward the entrance. With his back facing the   
pool, he read closely the sign on the front   
door, which said, POOL OPEN TO ALL MEMBERS FROM   
7 AM TO 11 PM EVERY DAY. CLASSES WEDNESDAYS   
FROM 3 PM TO 7 PM. NO LIFEGUARD ON DUTY. SWIM   
AT YOUR OWN RISK.  
  
Greg thought, No lifeguard on duty? Then why   
did that person tell me to get out of the pool   
for a class? Besides, it's 1 PM on a Sunday.  
  
"Because, Greg" said a chilling voice behind   
him, "you're the only thing that stands in the   
way of Amy Mizuno's destruction!"  
  
Greg turned and saw the same woman in the one-  
piece orange swimsuit rising out of the water   
in the pool; only this time she had green skin   
and long green hair sticking up like the wife   
of Frankenstein. On the front said the word   
"GUARANINE". Below the word was a black   
inverted moon symbol.  
  
Greg stood up straight and said, "Oh, all   
right, so I can call you Guaranine?"  
  
"That's right," she responded, "Guaranine,   
defender of the Negamoon!"  
  
"Well Guaranine, let's see if you can swim your   
way past me." Greg said. With that he reached   
into his pocket. "MERCURY.." Greg stopped at   
once when he realized that he couldn't find his   
dagger. Then he remembered.. he left it inside   
his locker. A sweatdrop appeared on his head.   
He didn't know what to do.  
  
"Well what are you waiting for," said   
Guaranine, "Let's tango!"  
  
With that Guaranine sent out a high-pitched   
noise from her whistle. Greg saw a large music   
note coming out of the whistle; Greg was caught   
in it before he could run away. The music note   
wrapped around him so tightly that he couldn't   
move. The music note dragged him toward the   
water.  
  
"This is too easy!" Guaranine said while Greg   
was still trying to break free. "Now Greg, it's   
time for your swan song, if you know what I   
mean!" With that she proceeded to pull the   
music note.. and Greg.. into the water. Greg   
attempted to resist her force and pressure and   
tried to stay above the water. He was managing   
to do so, for now.  
  
As Guaranine was working on him, she heard a   
loud voice.  
  
"STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!"  
  
She turned around to see three men in shining   
armor. "Who are you, the three geeks?"  
  
"Who are you calling geeks? You're the geek   
here! You're trying to drown this man.. he is   
one of our brothers, and we won't allow it! For   
love and justice! We are the knights of the   
inner planets, fighting for and defending our   
princesses. I am the knight of Thunder and   
Lightning, I AM JUPITER KNIGHT!"  
  
"I'm the knight representing Beauty and Love, I   
AM VENUS KNIGHT!"  
  
"AND I'M MARS KNIGHT, the guy who handles fire   
for a living, so I'd be careful if I were you!"  
  
"Guys!" Greg struggled to say, still feeling   
Guaranine's pressure. "W... where are the girls?"  
  
"They're not here," said Jupiter Knight, "we'll   
explain later."  
  
"I need one of you guys to try to open the lock   
to my locker so I can get my dagger and try to   
transform before this note sucks me in! I've   
got locker C24!"  
  
"Leave it to me," said Jupiter Knight. "The   
rest of you guys try to save Greg and destroy   
that orange-green geek!"  
  
Jupiter Knight ran out of the pool area while   
Mars and Venus were drawing their swords.  
  
"Come take your best shot, you whistle-piercing   
zombie!" yelled Venus Knight.  
  
Mars Knight tried to extend his hand over the   
water to save Greg, but his hand wouldn't reach   
that far. So he took his sword and extended its   
handle toward Greg. "Come on Greg, try grabbing   
the handle!" he said.  
  
Greg was still above the water and slowly   
trying to make his way toward Mars Knight's   
sword handle, still under pressure from the   
music note that was holding him back.  
  
"All right," Venus Knight yelled to Guaranine,   
"if you won't make your move first, then I   
will! VENUS LOVE BLADE CHARGE!"  
  
Venus Knight's attack missed, coming to within   
inches of Guaranine's chest.  
  
"Ha ha! You missed!" she yelled.  
  
Venus Knight tried again. "VENUS LOVE..." was all   
he could say before he was knocked off of his   
feet and out cold, thanks to a Sonic Wave   
attack from Guaranine.  
  
Mars Knight looked at his fallen brother, then   
focused back on trying to save Greg. "C'mon   
Greg!" he yelled! "Just a bit further..."  
  
Greg was reaching the handle of Mars Knight's   
extended sword. He was able to free one arm   
from the note's intense squeeze and reached for   
the handle. He got closer.. and closer.. to   
within a few inches.. until the note's pressure   
took over, and Greg was sucked down into the   
water.  
  
"Greg!" Mars Knight yelled as he drew back his   
sword and was ready to jump in.  
  
"I don't think so!" yelled Guaranine. "SONIC   
WAVE!"  
  
Mars Knight tried not to fall back, but the   
pressure from the Sonic Wave was too much. He   
flew back, smacked his head clear against the   
wall with tremendous force, and slumped to the   
ground.  
  
Greg was underwater, struggling to reach the   
surface, holding his breath for as long as he   
could.  
  
Greg had enough strength left to lift his head   
back into the air for a brief moment. He saw   
Jupiter Knight running in with the Mercury   
dagger.  
  
Greg had enough time to yell to him, "TOSS IT   
HERE!" before he was sucked back into the   
water.  
  
Jupiter Knight tossed the dagger into the   
water, and then turned around to see that Venus   
and Mars were knocked out. "You're mine now!"   
yelled Jupiter Knight.  
  
"Ha, ha, you don't scare me!" Guaranine   
responded. "SONIC WAVE!"  
  
"JUPITER THUNDER SHIELD CHARGE!"  
  
The Thunder Shield appeared and covered Jupiter   
Knight enough to protect him from the Sonic   
Wave.. but now Guaranine was constantly hitting   
him with attacks. Jupiter Knight couldn't move   
out of the way to see if he could help Greg.   
All he could do was shield himself.. and wait.  
  
Meanwhile, Greg was struggling in the water for   
a while, trying to move back up.. but the music   
note was dragging him down deeper, like a huge   
weight. Soon he was several feet deep in water,   
and the only strength he had left was for   
holding his breath.  
  
Greg was now too weak to fight the music note.   
  
When he was almost out of it, he thought to   
himself, it's inevitable now. He breathed out,   
and said to himself..  
  
I love you, Amy.  
  
Greg then relaxed his body, closed his eyes,   
and opened his mouth.  
  
  
Jupiter Knight was still shielding himself   
against Guaranine's Sonic Wave. The shield had   
taken a lot of hits by now, and was getting   
weak.  
  
Guaranine stopped her attacks briefly and said,   
"This is pointless!"  
  
While Guaranine rambled on about the stalemate   
situation, Jupiter Knight looked at the pool   
and noticed that a body was slowly rising up   
from the bottom of the pool.  
  
"Greg.. no, he's not.." he said. "What have you   
done, Guaranine!"  
  
"He's disposed of now, which means I can turn   
my attention to the likes of you.. and soon.. to   
that Amy Mizuno! Goodbye, Jupiter!"  
  
Jupiter Knight shielded himself once again,   
bracing for an attack. Then his eyes went wide   
open at a sight in the water.  
  
"That's right, Jupiter Knight," said Guaranine,   
"Look around one last time at your life before   
your disposal!"  
  
Guaranine then felt a tap on her back.  
  
"Huh?" she said, as she turned around.  
  
"Hi there," said Greg, who immediately thrusted   
his dagger into Guaranine's chest, right into   
the Negamoon symbol.  
  
"AAAAAGHH!" Guaranine yelled, screaming in   
pain. "What is this.... This can't be!.. Greg   
should be DEAAAAAD...."  
  
Guaranine's body quickly turned into moon dust,   
which fell into the water and dissolved.  
  
Venus and Mars were starting to struggle to   
their feet, and Jupiter Knight was withdrawing   
his Thunder Shield.  
  
"Hey Greg!" yelled Jupiter Knight. "What   
happened to you? I thought you were gone!"  
  
Greg was breathing heavily and waded toward the   
edge where the three other knights were.  
  
"Well, apparently I have something about   
swimming and water," he replied. "Today I find   
out that I have a knack for swimming, and.. now   
I just found out.. that... I can't drown!"  
  
"You can't... what do you mean, you can't drown?"   
said a puzzled Venus Knight.  
  
"Beats me, but I find that I can breathe   
underwater!" replied Greg.  
  
"Are you pulling our leg or something?" asked   
Jupiter Knight.  
  
"Hmm," thought Mars Knight, "maybe you've got   
some hyper power or something."  
  
"Good guess," said Jupiter Knight. "If the   
planet Mercury is symbolized by water, then   
that explains everything! Greg.. and I'm sure   
Amy too.. are connected, or shall I say,   
harmonized with the water, just like they were   
long ago."  
  
"So, like, that means I've got something   
special, too?" asked Mars Knight.  
  
"Well, whatever it is," said Jupiter Knight,   
"you'll find out soon enough."  
  
"All right guys," said Greg, "now you have a   
little explaining to do. Why are there just the   
three of you, plus me? Where are the girls? The   
sailor scouts?"  
  
"Oh yeah," said Venus Knight, "well the girls   
wanted to see how we would do on our own. You   
know, without their help. We won this battle,   
but clearly there's some more work to do."  
  
"You've got that right," said Greg.  
  
"Well, dude," said Mars Knight, "looks like   
you're still wet. We'll go back to the girls   
and tell them how it went, and you can wrap   
yourself up in a towel."  
  
Greg nodded his head in agreement, and the   
three knights departed.  
  
Greg made his way to the corner, exited the   
pool, dried himself, relaxed on the beach chair   
for ten minutes, and then left for the locker   
area.  
  
Greg returned to the pool area and headed for   
the exit. He was dressed in his black pants,   
with a dark blue dress shirt and black   
sneakers.  
  
Waiting for him at the exit was his father,   
dressed in his business suit.  
  
Greg yelled across, "Hi, Dad!"  
  
"Hey, son, I've been waiting for you for a   
while out here! What happened?"  
  
"Eh.. well, I.. couldn't resist swimming a little   
bit more... sorry about that."  
  
"Oh, no need to worry, son," he replied with a   
smile. "With what I just saw earlier, you   
deserved the extra swim time!"  
  
"All right, let's go home."  
  
"Uh.. not yet.." his father said. "Someone   
actually stopped by to see you."  
  
Mr. Urawa stepped off to the side, revealing a   
young woman wearing a long blue dress with a   
big bow in the back, a white blouse, and an   
aquamarine choker.   
  
She had short blue hair.  
  
Greg slapped his right hand on his forehead.   
"You!" he said.  
  
Amy smiled and ran up to embrace him.  
  
"What are you doing here?!" Greg asked.  
  
"Oh..." Amy said, "I just found out that you   
found a new passion for swimming. A passion   
that I like, too."  
  
"It's amazing, we have more and more things in   
common every day, don't we? Oh, by the way, we   
have some talking to do about earlier today."  
  
"That's right, we've got to work on some things   
with you and the other guys," Amy replied.  
  
"Hey kids," said Mr. Urawa, "sorry to interrupt   
here, but I was wondering if you'd all like to   
go for dinner at the sushi restaurant tonight.   
My treat!"  
  
Amy nodded her head. "Yes that will be   
wonderful! Thank you!"  
  
Greg then followed suit. "What's good for Amy   
is great for me!" Amy blushed.  
  
"Right, then! I'll drive the two of you back,"   
said Mr. Urawa.  
  
As Greg and Amy, arms wrapped around each   
other's waist, followed Mr. Urawa to the car,   
Greg whispered something in Amy's ear.  
  
"Say Ames, have you ever tried to breathe   
underwater?"  
  
Amy stopped. "How... how do you know about   
that?!"  
  
"I found out today in that battle with the   
youma. Apparently we have those powers carried   
over from the past."  
  
Greg opened the car door and held Amy's hand as   
she proceeded to enter.  
  
Then Greg said to Amy with a smile, "We're like   
fish! No wonder we're such excellent swimmers.."  
  
Then again, Greg thought to himself as his   
father started the car, if we were going to a   
sushi restaurant, I wouldn't want to be a fish...  
  
  
**************************************************  
End of Chapter 11  
  
Does Sorinya have anything else up her sleeve?  
  
What will the scouts and knights work on next?  
  
Find out in Chapter 12 of, The Saga of Mercury. 


	12. Sorinya Strikes

DISCLAIMER  
  
As usual, "Sailor Moon" and all related characters  
are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, TOEI  
Animation and other agencies.  
  
The Saga of Mercury story is copyrighted by me, however  
content in some chapters is based on the Mercury  
Knight Stories as described in the Chapter 1 Introduction.  
  
******  
You can view released chapters in PDF format by visiting  
the official web site of this fanfic, at:  
http://members.aol.com/jrhorse98/sagaofmercury/index.html  
  
You can also view these chapters at:  
http://www.fanfiction.net  
http://www.moonromance.com  
http://www.mediaminer.org/fanfic  
http://www.fandomination.net (Note: web site currently 404'd)  
  
Chapters are also posted weekly at the Sailor Moon newsgroup:  
news:alt.fan.sailor-moon  
******  
  
  
The Saga of Mercury  
Chapter 12  
Sorinya Strikes  
  
"My dear queen," Eagloria said to Queen   
Sorinya, "I have a report."  
  
"Proceed," said the Queen.  
  
"It appears that the Sailor Scouts and   
the Knights are getting together well.   
The Knights are improving their skills."  
  
"I see," said Sorinya. "Hmm, thank you, I   
think I know what I'll do next. I'll do   
several things! It'll be so hot and   
shocking... if that doesn't work then I'll   
move on to plan B, and when that happens...   
HA-HA-HA... I don't even want to tell you   
about plan B!  
  
When it's all done, Sailor Mercury is ALL   
MINE!"  
  
  
Meanwhile, in an open and quiet park   
surrounded by trees, the Sailor Scouts   
and the knights were taking target   
practice.   
  
"Well, last round, let's see what we can   
do," said Venus Knight.  
  
About 75 yards away, Mercury Knight was   
thrusting thin wooden stakes into the   
ground. On the top of each stake, he put   
a bright red apple.  
  
"Well, if it isn't Johnny 'Mercury'   
Appleseed!" chuckled Mars Knight.  
  
Mercury Knight glanced at that comment,   
and then continued plowing the stakes and   
setting the apples until he was done with   
that row.  
  
"Ok," he said as he walked toward the   
others. "I think Jamie's saying this will   
be the last shot for each of us." He   
stopped 25 yards short of the group to   
plow one more stake and set one more   
apple.  
  
In all there were a total of ten stakes   
with ten apples. The stake that was 25   
yards away was for Sailor Mini Moon.  
  
Everyone took a spot in line. Sailor Moon   
and Sailor Mini Moon drew their moon   
rods, the knights drew their swords, and   
the other scouts took their attack poses.  
  
"All right, guys, one at a time, don't   
start until the previous person is   
finished," were Mercury Knight's   
instructions. "Ready? Ok, Sailor Moon,   
whenever you're ready."  
  
Sailor Moon was pooped. "YAWN! I'm   
tired," she said, "can I just walk home   
and take a nap?"  
  
Mini Moon bopped her on the head. "Stay   
awake, sleepy head!"  
  
Sailor Moon was fully alert after the   
encouragement from her daughter. "MOON   
SPIRAL HEART ATTACK!"  
  
The attack landed squarely in the center   
of the apple and splattered it to pieces.  
  
The remaining scouts and knights took   
their turns, using their signature   
attacks, and their performance was   
excellent... except for Mini Moon who had   
to move in a bit closer in order to   
splatter the apple with her Pink Sugar   
Heart Attack.  
  
"Great job, guys," said Mercury Knight.   
"Let's strike."  
  
"Uh, strike?" asked Sailor Moon. "You   
actually want to take a break for good?"  
  
"No," replied Jupiter Knight, "like in   
balls and strikes, like baseball!"  
  
"No, no, it isn't any of those," said   
Mercury Knight. "I read that it's a term   
used in TV studio production. Whenever   
they're done shooting something like a   
music video, they yell STRIKE! That tells   
the equipment guys to clean everything up   
in the studio and pack it in until..."  
  
"Greg," said Mars Knight, looking at   
something in the distance.  
  
"Uh, Chad, I would appreciate it if you   
didn't interrupt..." Mercury Knight   
responded. "Anyway..."  
  
"Greg.." said Chad, "am I really, really   
interested in what you're saying about   
this... or do I see a fire in the   
distance?"  
  
Mercury Knight turned around to see that   
a portion of the forest was indeed on   
fire, about 500 yards away.  
  
"Whoa, where did that come from?" asked   
Venus Knight.  
  
Sailor Jupiter noticed that there was a   
huge, dark storm cloud zooming their way   
as well.  
  
"Let's get out of here!" yelled Sailor   
Moon.  
  
Sailor Moon and Sailor Mini Moon were   
starting to run away from the fire and   
the cloud, when Sailor Mars halted them.  
  
"You guys, what are you scared about?"   
she asked. "Come on, Sailor Moon! You're   
starting to remind me of your old self,   
the old Sailor Moon who used to cry about   
EVERYTHING!"  
  
Sailor Moon stood up straight and looked   
Sailor Mars square in the face.   
"Crybaby?" she said in a royal voice. "I   
don't have the slightest clue what you're   
talking about." She then turned to face   
the fire. "Ok guys, let's go!"  
  
"Hold up," said Mercury Knight. "We don't   
have to do anything about the fire. Look,   
the fire department is here."  
  
Sirens blared and red lights flashed as   
two large, shiny fire trucks arrived at   
the scene.  
  
"Greg, you would think that the dark   
cloud's rain would be able to put out   
that fire, wouldn't you?" asked Sailor   
Mercury.  
  
"Yes," replied Mercury Knight, "the only   
thing is, there's no rain yet."  
  
"The best thing to do," suggested Venus   
Knight, "is to stay here and wait to see   
what happens."  
  
"All right," said Sailor Moon, "if you   
say so."  
  
Firemen were sprawling from the truck and   
unrolling the hoses. Several of the men   
grabbed a section of the hose to make   
sure that it would be steady when the   
water sprayed.  
  
The fire chief yelled, "Ready? One, two,   
THREE!"  
  
The water was started, and a huge stream   
was aimed at the site of the fire.  
  
There was only one problem...  
  
Several seconds after they started   
spraying, the firefighters shut off the   
hose and ran for their lives.  
  
The water that they sprayed on the fire   
actually doubled the fire's intensity.  
  
"Hey, that doesn't compute!" yelled   
Mercury Knight.  
  
He and the others had to yell at this   
point because of the wind that was   
starting to pick up around them as a   
result of the cloud, which was now   
directly overhead.  
  
"I have a feeling," Sailor Mercury said,   
"that this might be the work of..."  
  
Sailor Moon was interrupted by a   
tremendous, booming lightning strike that   
missed her by only inches.  
  
Some of the scouts screamed. The   
intensity of the lightning strike caused   
everyone to spill onto the ground... all,   
except Sailor Jupiter and Jupiter Knight.  
  
The wind was now gale-force, and was   
continuing to pick up. It became hard to   
speak at this point.  
  
"Everyone, lie flat on the ground!"   
yelled Mercury Knight. "I'll try to   
freeze that fire."  
  
"GREG, DON'T!" yelled Sailor Mercury.  
  
"MERCURY ICE BLADE CHARGE!"  
  
The ice blade charge went towards the   
fire... but instantaneously made the fire   
grow larger and get closer.  
  
Mercury Knight's eyes went wide open...   
then he remembered the firefighters.   
Shouldn't have done that, he thought, as   
a sweatdrop appeared on his head.  
  
Mars Knight then had an idea.  
  
"Raye, Lita, Ken, come over here!" he   
yelled.  
  
Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter and Jupiter   
Knight made their way through the wind to   
Mars Knight, who held a brief conference.  
  
After their conference, the four, heads   
held high, walked toward the fire and the   
newest points that the lightning strikes   
were concentrated.  
  
"HEY!" yelled Mercury Knight in the   
intensifying wind. "WHAT ARE YOU GUYS   
DOING?"  
  
Mars Knight looked at him. "Remember you   
and the pool the other day?"  
  
"WHAT ABOUT IT?" he yelled.  
  
Mars Knight just looked at him, smiled,   
then joined the other three.  
  
Mercury Knight was confused as the four   
made their way to the fire and lightning.  
  
Then he had a thought... and realized what   
they were doing. They're taking a risk,   
he thought. Is that going to work?  
  
Sailor Venus stood up. "What are they..."  
  
She was stopped when her entire body was   
covered in a massive lightning bolt. The   
entire ground shook.  
  
When it was over, a limp Sailor Venus   
collapsed onto the ground.  
  
Venus Knight was nearby and trudged over   
to his fallen princess. "MINA! MINA! WAKE   
UP!" he yelled!  
  
"Oh great," said Mercury Knight, "this is   
getting out of hand. I have a feeling   
this is the Negaverse at work."  
  
"Don't worry about Sailor Venus," said   
Sailor Moon. "MOON SPIRAL HEALING   
ACTIVATION!"  
  
The sparkles of light emanating from the   
moon rod showered all over Sailor Venus,   
and she came to moments later.  
  
A stunned Sailor Venus sat up and looked   
at the large, intense fireball. "I... hope   
they know what they're doing," she said   
of the quartet nearing it.  
  
  
Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, Mars Knight   
and Jupiter Knight were now only feet   
away from the flames.  
  
"So, Chad?" Sailor Mars said to Mars   
Knight. "Ready to do this? You sure it   
will work?"  
  
"Positive," replied her knight. "Let's do   
it."  
  
"So, we stay out here, right?" asked   
Jupiter Knight.  
  
"Yep, I think that's the plan," replied   
his sailor-suited princess.  
  
"Let's just make sure..." said Mars Knight,   
taking a deep breath and sticking his   
right hand into the fireball for ten   
seconds.  
  
Mars Knight showed no signs of pain, and   
removed his unscathed hand after the ten   
seconds.  
  
Mars Knight grabbed Sailor Mars' hand,   
and together they stepped into the   
intense fire.  
  
Sailor Jupiter and her knight started to   
kneel on the ground. Then joined hands,   
closed their eyes, and began to meditate.  
  
Sailor Mars could see the bright hot, red   
and yellow flames swirl around her and   
Mars Knight. But even with the intense   
fire, not a single part of her caught on   
fire... not even her long, black hair.   
  
"OK," Mars Knight yelled in the blazing   
fire. "Here ought to do it."  
  
The two of them then kneeled and began to   
meditate, exactly like they were used to   
doing at the Hikawa Shrine.  
  
Sailor Mars and Mars Knight began their   
Shinto chant in Japanese, first softly,   
then with increasing volume. "Rin, pyou,   
tou, sha, kai, jin, retsu, sai, zen...   
  
Rin, pyou, tou, sha, kai, jin, retsu,   
sai, zen...   
  
RIN, PYOU, TOU, SHA, KAI, JIN, RETSU,   
SAI, ZEN... RIN, PYOU!"  
  
They stopped their chant there when they   
were in touch with the fire around them.   
They said within themselves, EVIL   
SPIRITS, CAST YOURSELVES AWAY FROM THIS   
FIRE! BEGONE!"  
  
At the same time, Sailor Jupiter and   
Jupiter Knight were meditating. Sailor   
Jupiter said out loud, in her commanding   
voice, "FORCES OF THUNDER AND LIGHTNING,   
YOU ARE UNDER A DARK SPELL FROM THE   
NEGAVERSE! WE COMMAND YOU..."  
  
At that, a huge bolt of lightning struck   
Jupiter Knight right where he was.   
  
But Jupiter Knight looked as if nothing   
was bothering him.  
  
Sailor Jupiter only stopped a moment to   
look at her knight before continuing. "WE   
COMMAND YOU TO HELP QUENCH THIS FIRE   
INSTEAD OF CAUSING DESTRUCTION!"  
  
Jupiter Knight then repeated Sailor   
Jupiter's words.  
  
The four continued their chants. Hot fire   
continued to swirl around Sailor Mars and   
Mars Knight, while thunderbolts were   
striking the ground repeatedly, one after   
another, in seeming response to the cries   
of Sailor Jupiter and Jupiter Knight.  
  
In the distance, Tuxedo Mask had just   
joined Sailor Moon, Sailor Mini Moon,   
Sailor Mercury, Mercury Knight, Sailor   
Venus and Venus Knight.  
  
"I'm not sure if they'll be all right,"   
said Tuxedo Mask.  
  
Mercury Knight thought for a second, and   
then replied, "If I know what they're   
doing, they should be fine."  
  
As he said that, the multiple lightning   
strikes stopped, as if they were   
immediately silenced. Then, the cloud   
opened up, and rain began to fall slowly.   
As that happened, the fire's intensity   
began to weaken...   
  
and weaken...   
  
and weaken.  
  
The rain then started to pour, and the   
rain helped to completely extinguish the   
fire within a few more minutes. Soon   
after, the winds died down to normal   
levels.  
  
"It's safe," said Tuxedo Mask. "Let's go   
over to them."  
  
The ten of them met up in the spot that   
Sailor Jupiter and Jupiter Knight were   
at.  
  
"We did it!" yelled Sailor Mars.  
  
"It worked!" yelled Sailor Jupiter.  
  
"Yep," said Mars Knight, "and we can all   
thank Mercury Knight for that."  
  
"Wait," replied Mercury Knight, "are you   
talking about the time that I breathed   
underwater?"  
  
"That's right," said Jupiter Knight.   
"Think of it, Greg. Fire? Thunder? It was   
perfect for the four of us. Now, you and   
Amy aren't the only ones with something   
special. Thunder doesn't bother me, and   
fire doesn't bother him. That goes for   
the girls, too."  
  
"Well, you know what that means," said   
Sailor Venus, pointing to Venus Knight.   
"All we have to do is wait for him to do   
something unique!!"  
  
"Good point," replied Venus Knight, who   
thought of something as he looked through   
the clearing smoke.  
  
Venus Knight could see the destruction   
that the fire had caused. Burned and   
charred trees could be seen everywhere,   
some of them dried up as if they had just   
been hit by volcano lava.  
  
He then felt something inside of him.. a   
strong, powerful force. He whipped out   
his sword and yelled "VENUS LOVE BLADE   
CHARGE!"  
  
Mercury Knight gasped. "Jamie! What are   
you..."  
  
But instead of an attack, the love beam   
coming out of Venus Knight's blade gently   
showered all over the fire-burnt area.  
  
Slowly, new plants were starting to   
sprout out all over the ground. The   
plants stopped growing when they were   
several feet out.  
  
Sailor Venus gasped. "Wow! You did   
that?!"  
  
"Yep," replied Venus Knight. "This area   
lost its beauty after the fire and the   
lightning. I am Venus Knight, from the   
planet of love and beauty, and I.. well..   
felt it was necessary to prevent the   
beauty from fading away here."  
  
"But it seems that those aren't full   
height, just like the other trees," said   
Mars Knight.  
  
"Yeah," replied Sailor Mercury, "but I   
think it's best if the plants stayed this   
way and we all just let nature take its   
natural course now."  
  
"All right, the circle is complete!" said   
Sailor Moon. "Everyone now has their own   
special talent... except, of course, for   
me..."  
  
  
Meanwhile, back in the Negaverse...  
  
"It failed!" yelled Sorinya. "Time for   
Plan B!"   
  
Sorinya meditated, and it looked as if   
waves were beginning to pulse out of her   
head.   
  
  
"Oh, don't worry," said Mercury Knight to   
Sailor Moon. "You're the very unique   
one."  
  
"Well, not really!" said Mini Moon. "I'm   
the unique one, more unique than her!"  
  
"Oh, will you stop that?" yelled Sailor   
Moon to her daughter.  
  
"Stop what?" replied Mini Moon. "You   
haven't got anything special, other than   
the pathetic stick that you call a moon   
rod!"  
  
"PATHETIC?" yelled Sailor Moon.  
  
"Stop your habit of yelling, you two,"   
said Tuxedo Mask, putting his hand in the   
way of the two odango-heads.  
  
"Shove off, you pig!" yelled Sailor Moon   
to Tuxedo Mask.  
  
"Get away!" yelled Mini Moon.  
  
The two shoved Tuxedo Mask hard onto the   
grass, and then continued in their   
shouting match.  
  
Mercury Knight looked confused. "Hey,   
Ames, do you get any of this?"  
  
Sailor Mercury gave Mercury Knight an   
angry look. "AMES? You call me AMES?" she   
yelled.  
  
"But, I always call you..."  
  
"LISTEN UP, YOU, MY NAME IS AMY! ACTUALLY   
YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO CALL ME SAILOR   
MERCURY! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?"  
  
"Uh..." Mercury Knight said, trying to find   
the right words.  
  
"THAT'S RIGHT, YOU DON'T KNOW, DO YOU?"  
  
Mercury Knight was stunned to see this   
reaction from Sailor Mercury.  
  
Seconds later, he found that the two   
soldiers from Mars, Jupiter and Venus   
were also arguing, for one reason or   
another.  
  
He could barely hear Sailor Mars saying   
something to the likes of "how many times   
have I told you not to stick your hand in   
the fire?" and Venus Knight taunting   
Sailor Venus with "you are so sick, you   
don't even care about anything!"  
  
Out of the eleven that were there, the   
only two that weren't in a shouting match   
were Mercury Knight, who was still being   
yelled at by Sailor Mercury, and Tuxedo   
Mask, who was still trying to separate   
Sailor Moon and Sailor Mini Moon. Both of   
them didn't know what was going on.   
  
Mercury Knight then had an idea, and   
decided to play along. "So what's wrong   
with me, Mercury?" he yelled to Sailor   
Mercury. "Do you want to cover me up in   
fog? Is that it?"  
  
"YEAH," Sailor Mercury yelled, hands on   
hips. "Why don't I?"  
  
Mercury Knight looked at Tuxedo Mask.   
"TUXEDO MASK!" he yelled. "GET READY TO   
BOLT!"  
  
Tuxedo Mask nodded and braced himself.  
  
Sailor Mercury formed a fog bubble and   
yelled "SHABON SPRAY!"  
  
The entire area was covered in fog. But   
the fog never stopped the others from   
arguing. Sailor Mercury couldn't see   
Mercury Knight, so she decided to go at   
it with Sailor Mars in a rare tongue-  
sticking contest.  
  
The firefighters were nearby as the fog   
cleared. Instead of going back to pick up   
their hoses, they watched in wonder as   
their heroes shouted at each other.  
  
"This situation is not good, Jim," said   
one firefighter to another as the arguing   
continued.  
  
Tuxedo Mask and Mercury Knight, however,   
were gone... and wondering what was going   
on.  
  
  
*********************************  
End of Chapter 12  
  
WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON?  
  
Mercury Knight and Tuxedo Mask can't believe  
what they've just seen from their friends.  
  
Will they do something about it?  
  
CAN they do something about it?  
  
Find out in Chapter 13 of, The Saga of Mercury. 


	13. The Scout Rings

DISCLAIMER  
  
As usual, "Sailor Moon" and all related characters  
are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, TOEI  
Animation and other agencies.  
  
The Saga of Mercury story is copyrighted by me, however  
content in some chapters is based on the Mercury  
Knight Stories as described in the Chapter 1 Introduction.  
  
******  
You can view released chapters in PDF format by visiting  
the official web site of this fanfic, at:  
http://members.aol.com/jrhorse98/sagaofmercury/index.html  
  
You can also view these chapters at:  
http://www.fanfiction.net  
http://www.moonromance.com  
http://www.mediaminer.org/fanfic  
http://www.fandomination.net (Note: web site currently 404'd)  
  
Chapters are also posted weekly at the Sailor Moon newsgroup:  
news:alt.fan.sailor-moon  
******  
  
  
The Saga of Mercury  
Chapter 13   
The Scout Rings  
  
"That was the most surprising moment of   
my life," said Greg.  
  
Greg was in his living room, talking with   
Luna and Artemis. After Sailor Mercury's   
fog attack, Greg, as Mercury Knight,   
dashed to Mina's apartment to get   
Artemis. Upon reaching the apartment, he   
didn't even have to knock... Artemis was   
standing right there with his   
"something's up" look. Then he ran to   
Serena's house, and asked Sammy if he   
could borrow Luna (to which Sammy agreed   
without hesitation).  
  
Luna and Artemis stayed in Greg's house   
overnight to try to figure out... in   
peaceful quietness... what the deal was.  
  
Before he went to bed that night, Greg   
tried to talk to Amy over the phone, but   
was politely rejected by her mother, Mrs.   
Mizuno.   
  
  
"I'm sorry, Greg, but I can't allow you   
to talk to her," she said. "Amy claims   
that you hurt her feelings."  
  
"Ma'am, I did not try to hurt her   
feelings, believe me. You don't know the   
entire story."  
  
"Well, although I appreciate you calling   
to set things straight, I feel it best to   
just let Amy alone for the rest of the   
night."  
  
"Oh... all right," Greg conceded.  
  
  
It was past eleven in the morning when   
the two cats began to get some ideas   
about everything. At that point, they   
heard the doorbell ring.  
  
Greg stood up. "Oh great, now what?"   
Looking at the cats, he said, "You guys   
better hide."  
  
Luna and Artemis hid behind the sofa.  
  
Greg nervously walked to the door to see   
who it was. He could see a tall figure   
through the opaque glass, so he knew from   
that point that it wasn't Amy coming to   
apologize. It looked like his father.  
  
Greg thought up something quickly,   
unlocked the door and opened it wide.  
  
"I'm sorry, sir," Greg started, squinting   
his eyes, "but I brought home two cats   
and I need them to be around for a   
while..."  
  
"Two cats?" said a familiar voice.   
"That's perfect with me."  
  
Greg opened his eyes.  
  
"Darien!" he said. "Ha... well, if anyone   
was going to come over here besides my   
father, I should have known it was you.   
Come in!"  
  
Darien took his shoes off and came in.   
After a moment, the two gentlemen sat on   
the floor with Luna and Artemis.  
  
"So, Darien," Greg started, "are you on   
the 'Serena and Rini' watch?"  
  
"Uh, no," Darien responded, "I haven't   
been on any kind of watch at all. I tried   
calling Serena and Rini last night, and   
all they did was shout some nasty things   
at me.. and at each other.. Then this   
morning I tried to go to their house and   
cheer them up. I brought Serena flowers..   
heck I even brought Rini a bouquet, too.   
Serena and Rini looked at each of their   
bouquets.. and then threw them in my face!   
Serena complained that she had two fewer   
flowers than did Rini. Rini, on the other   
hand, complained that the flowers had a   
funny smell."  
  
"It's the same problem with Amy and I.   
Not with flowers or smells, but.. you   
know.. absolutely no contact whatsoever.   
We normally talk on the phone every   
night.. or every afternoon, if we have a   
date in the evening.. but for the first   
time in months, that never happened."  
  
"Have you seen any of the others lately?"   
asked Greg.  
  
"I tried to talk to Mina this morning on   
the phone," said Artemis. "She was   
yelling at the top of her lungs, WHY DID   
YOU GO AWAY! WHERE ARE YOU, YOU CRAZY   
CAT? Blah, blah, blah. She also mentioned   
that Venus Knight was a filthy slob."  
  
"I was going to try to talk to Serena and   
Rini today," said Luna, "but.. if you   
already tried, Darien, then there's no   
point in me trying."  
  
"Well I know that we've all failed," said   
Artemis, "but Luna and I believe that   
there's an answer to all of this."  
  
"Let me guess," said Greg. "A youma from   
the Negaverse threw everyone out of   
whack?"  
  
"Partially correct," Luna responded. "We   
believe it's actually Queen Sorinya who   
sent out a powerful hypnotic wave and   
brainwashed everyone."  
  
"Are you sure it was Sorinya?" asked   
Darien.  
  
"Yes," said Artemis. "We've done some   
research, and we found that Sorinya has a   
powerful, hypnotic sonic wave.. much   
stronger and very different than the   
attack from the youma that tried to do   
away with Greg in the pool.. well, we'll   
call this the hypnotic wave to   
differentiate between the two.. anyway,   
Sorinya uses this hypnotic wave to   
reprogram people's minds to think   
whatever she wants them to think.   
Apparently, they were aiming at all of   
us."  
  
"And she was, for the most part,   
successful," said Greg.  
  
"How can we reverse the process and put   
them back the way they were?" asked   
Darien.  
  
"There are not a lot of options,"   
responded Artemis.  
  
"We've concluded that my Luna mind meld   
is too weak for what Sorinya has done,"   
said Luna. "Serena's Spiral Moon Rod   
won't work, and Amy's Shabon Rod won't do   
the trick, either."  
  
"Are we stuck, then?" asked Greg.  
  
"For the time being," said Artemis.  
  
"What I don't get, guys," said Darien,   
"is that she hit everyone with the sonic   
wave..."  
  
"Hypnotic wave," Artemis said.  
  
"Right," Darien continued, "but I wasn't   
affected, and you, Greg, weren't affected   
either. What do you think may have caused   
that?"  
  
There was silence. None of them knew the   
answer.  
  
Then Greg said, "Guys, you mind if I   
transformed, here, right now? Just to see   
if we can spot something on me that might   
have deflected the hypnotic wave attack.   
Then when you're done with me, we can   
check Tuxedo guy over here."  
  
Darien, Luna and Artemis agreed.  
  
Greg reached into his pocket, removed his   
dagger, and said in a calm voice,   
"MERCURY KNIGHT POWER."  
  
Mercury Knight stood in his introductory   
pose, and then straightened up. "All   
right," he said, putting his large sword   
back in its sheath. "Is there anything   
that looks out of the ordinary?"  
  
"Um... I... Your uniform looks like it   
normally does," said Darien.  
  
Mercury Knight turned around so they   
could look at his back.  
  
"Oh boy," said Artemis, "we're going to   
have to take guesses here."  
  
Mercury Knight lifted each of his   
polished shoes and looked under them.   
"Uh, no, nothing here... nothing there.."   
  
He took off the blue diagonal sash that   
covered his uniform, containing a large   
logo of Mercury's planetary symbol, plus   
several medals. "Uh... no..."  
  
He took off his uniform jacket, which   
contained other medals and bars on the   
front. He inspected the front, the   
sleeves, and the inside. "Looks normal."  
  
He took out his sword, looked at the   
shiny blade and at the handle, and placed   
it back into its sheath. "Nope."  
  
He looked down at his solid black pants,   
then up to his bright white shirt and   
blue tie... all the way up to feeling the   
two gold stars that he had on either   
collar, which signified that he was an   
admiral of some kind. He smiled to   
himself, thinking, I remember earning   
these stars... it didn't take long to get   
them...  
  
He looked at the Darien and the two cats.   
"Well, do you think there's anything   
worth mentioning?"  
  
"How about the ring on your left hand,"   
Darien suggested.  
  
"Ring on my left hand?" said a puzzled   
Mercury Knight.  
  
Mercury Knight looked on his left hand...   
and, indeed, saw a ring on his ring   
finger. The ring had his planet's symbol   
in gold and was surrounded with several   
small blue sapphire stones.  
  
"Good grief," he exclaimed, "I never knew   
I had this!"  
  
"Do you remember where you got it from,"   
asked Artemis.  
  
"Well," responded Mercury Knight, "I'd   
have to think about it for a bit... seems   
then that this ring pops up only when I   
transform..."  
  
Mercury Knight thought about it... and then   
started to remember something from his   
past.   
  
"Wait," he said as his memory was coming   
back. "We.. we had a hypnotic wave attack   
back on Mercury once... the planet   
Mercury... Yes.. it wasn't the Negaverse, but   
some other dark force that had tried to   
take over all of the inner planets. It   
was called.. uh.. it was called.. ah, I   
can't remember their name, but they   
attempted to use mind control over a   
broad range of people. They were...   
apparently starting from the inside and   
working their way out. So lo and behold,   
we were first... sigh Anyway, once they   
started using mind control on the far   
side of Mercury, I was called to the   
royal palace on Earth by the Prince.. you,   
Darien.. to receive what you called a   
gift. You.. brought me into a room.. and   
you opened this box... it was a bright,   
white... or was it a red... no, it was   
definitely a white box. You opened it,   
and inside there were eight rings, four   
women's size and four men's size... two for   
Mercury, two for Venus, Mars and Jupiter.   
You told me that these rings... had two   
things that were very symbolic..."  
  
"They had the power to combat the   
hypnotic wave attack..." Darien started to   
say, "... and they were the most important   
symbols of love, friendship and teamwork   
that the knights could give to their   
princesses, and vice versa. They wouldn't   
be needed unless it was absolutely   
necessary, when it came to one situation   
or the other."  
  
"You got it!" said Mercury Knight. "I   
took that ring, placed it on my finger   
and went back to Mercury. I raised the   
ring high in the air at the enemy, and   
the force from the ring created a large   
wall of energy that absorbed and then   
deflected the Sonic Wave attack, from   
around the entire planet. Once they saw   
that, they became as scared as chickens,   
and ran for their lives, never to be seen   
again. After that attack, though, most of   
the ring's power drained away. There's   
enough power left in there now... there is   
now and there always will be... to protect   
myself."  
  
"Your ring was the most powerful," said   
Darien, "because you represented Mercury,   
and your planet was just about the first   
in line for any attack."  
  
"And I was the only one that took a   
ring," said Greg. "The remaining seven   
stayed in that box... who knows where they   
are now?"  
  
When he said this, a strong gust of wind   
started to blow all around the house.   
Mercury Knight grabbed a hold of himself,   
while Darien got off of the floor to hold   
Luna and Artemis tightly.  
  
The scenery around the four of them   
changed from Greg's den to a misty, foggy   
darkness.  
  
"What's going on here?" asked Mercury   
Knight.  
  
"I don't know," responded Darien. "Maybe   
Sorinya has come to get us?"  
  
"I won't let that happen." Mercury   
Knight, minus sash and suit, drew his   
sword and stood in his attack position,   
waiting to see who was causing this   
melee.  
  
In the distance, the four were able to   
see a bright, white light... with a tall,   
dark shadow standing within it. The   
shadow appeared to have long hair and a   
stick of some kind.  
  
"IS THAT YOU, SORINYA?" yelled Mercury   
Knight. "Whoever you are, I demand that   
you come into the light. For Love and   
Justice, I am the Knight sworn to defend   
love and intelligence. I AM MERCURY   
KNIGHT, and don't you forget about that!   
So just come on over before I go over   
there and..."  
  
Mercury Knight stopped talking when he   
could get a closer look at the figure   
that was slowly approaching him.  
  
She was wearing a short black skirt,   
black boots, a dark red bow... and a tiara.   
Her green hair was long and flowing, with   
a bun in the back.  
  
She looked as if she was a Sailor Scout...  
  
"...Trista?? ... PLUTO??"  
  
"You are correct, Greg... Mercury Knight."  
  
Mercury Knight lowered his sword back   
into its sheath, then walked up to   
embrace a smiling Sailor Pluto.  
  
"It's been a long time, Trista. How is   
everything?"  
  
"Oh, Greg, it's pretty ordinary," she   
responded. She looked over Mercury   
Knight's shoulder. "Luna, Artemis,   
Darien."  
  
The three all nodded their heads to   
return the hello.   
  
"What brings you here?"  
  
"Well, I don't have much time.. being the   
keeper of time, and all... but I bring you   
greetings from the future, from King   
Endymion and Queen Serenity of the Moon   
Kingdom..."  
  
Mercury Knight turned his head and looked   
at Darien. "That's you, isn't it?"  
  
Sailor Pluto continued, "yes, and from   
your future self, King Gregory of   
Mercury."  
  
Mercury Knight's eyes went wide open.   
"KING of Mercury, eh?" He paused. "Good   
grief, wonder who the queen is.. uh...   
anyway, what do they say?"  
  
"I have been looking at what's been   
happening here," said Sailor Pluto, "and   
the hypnotic wave has come back to wreak   
havoc on you and the other sailor scouts.   
So I explained the situation to your   
future selves, and they would like you to   
have something that will be of great   
benefit to you at this point in time."  
  
With that, Sailor Pluto handed Mercury   
Knight a white box with large decorations   
on the top. "I wonder if this is..." he   
started to say as he opened the box.   
Inside the box were the seven remaining   
rings from the past.  
  
"These are the Scout Rings," said Sailor   
Pluto.  
  
"AH, that's what they're called, Scout   
Rings, I remember that now," said Mercury   
Knight.  
  
"These are the most powerful rings that   
can be given to the scouts and to the   
knights, as you have already demonstrated   
wearing your ring. They will combat the   
hypnotic wave attack, and when both   
partners from each planet wear their   
ring, a true bond of love and friendship   
will be evident... one that can never be   
broken by an evil force, not even by the   
Negaforce. Endymion, Serenity and King   
Gregory send these rings to you with   
their blessings."  
  
"Thank you, Sailor Pluto... Thank you very   
much. All I have to figure out now is how   
Darien wasn't affected by all of this."  
  
"Darien wasn't affected," Sailor Pluto   
said, "because the symbolism that he   
carries as a barrier to the hypnotic wave   
is the rose that he uses as Tuxedo Mask.   
The rose is another very special gift   
that can symbolize love and friendship.   
Its significance is the same as that of   
the rings."  
  
"Thank you," said Darien. "Won't you stay   
and help us?"  
  
"I wish I could," responded Sailor Pluto,   
putting her free hand on Mercury Knight's   
shoulder, "but I have a job to do as the   
keeper of time and space, and so I must   
leave you now."  
  
"Sailor Pluto, please don't leave,"   
Mercury Knight said.  
  
"I am sorry, Greg. Use these rings wisely   
against the attack of the Sonic Wave. We   
know that you will do well."  
  
Sailor Pluto stepped back to the bright   
light.  
  
"Farewell, everyone..."  
  
With that, Sailor Pluto and the bright   
light disappeared, and the foursome was   
returned to Greg's house.  
  
"Well, that explains everything," said   
Artemis. "We now know what the rings are   
for."  
  
"Yep," said Mercury Knight, staring down   
at the rings. "Now, the question is, how   
do we get these rings to them..."  
  
  
*****************************************  
  
End of Chapter 13  
  
I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, with  
a cameo appearance from our good friend,  
Trista Meiou, AKA Sailor Pluto.  
  
So, NOW WHAT?   
  
Are there arguments still going on between   
the scouts and the knights?  
  
Are the arguments still one on one, for example  
Raye vs. Chad? Or are the arguments one person  
against everybody else?  
  
As far as Greg, Darien, and the two cats are concerned,  
how WILL they get those Scout Rings to the others?  
  
You'll see what happens in Chapter 14  
of The Saga of Mercury! 


	14. A Visit Back Home

DISCLAIMER  
  
As usual, "Sailor Moon" and all related characters  
are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, TOEI  
Animation and other agencies.  
  
The Saga of Mercury story is copyrighted by me, however  
content in some chapters is based on the Mercury  
Knight Stories as described in the Chapter 1 Introduction.  
  
"IRON CHEF" is a registered trademark of Fujisankei  
Communications Group / Fuji Television. The author of  
The Saga of Mercury does not challenge the rights to  
this and related marks.  
  
******  
You can view released chapters in PDF format by visiting  
the official web site of this fanfic, at:  
http://members.aol.com/jrhorse98/sagaofmercury/index.html  
  
You can also view these chapters at:  
http://www.fanfiction.net = note domain change  
http://www.moonromance.net  
http://www.mediaminer.org/fanfic  
http://www.fandomination.net (Note: web site currently 404'd)  
  
Chapters are also posted weekly at the Sailor Moon newsgroup:  
news:alt.fan.sailor-moon  
******  
  
  
The Saga of Mercury  
Chapter 14  
A Visit Back Home  
  
"I tell you, I can't tell which of you   
two cleans up better around here," said   
Grandpa Hino.  
  
Raye and Chad were going at it in a   
cleaning contest. This contest, which   
Raye challenged Chad to, was to see who   
could clean the Hikawa Shrine in the   
shortest amount of time, without leaving   
a mess.  
  
Raye cleaned the east wing, while Chad   
cleaned the west wing.  
  
Grandpa looked at both areas, and found   
them to be spotless.  
  
"I really can't tell who won this one!   
It's a coin toss.. but I.. really don't   
feel like tossing coins right now.. Oh,   
well!"  
  
Raye and Chad then turned their heads   
toward each other, each holding their   
broom. They were about 15 feet apart from   
each other, on their side of the Shrine.   
They stared down each other like enemies.  
  
"I can beat you a second time, if you'd   
like," said Raye.  
  
"You're on!" replied Chad.  
  
Without hesitation, the two started off   
to re-sweep their side of the shrine...   
this time both inside and outside.  
  
When thirty minutes passed, Grandpa came   
out again to inspect.  
  
"Nope, they all look clean to me!"  
  
Then Grandpa said, "This is boring... HEY!   
Those schoolgirls are coming off the bus!   
I'll just trot on over to see if they   
want to buy some charms...  
  
  
  
Inside a high school gymnasium, the   
cooking contest was about to begin. The   
high school generously donated the time   
inside the gym, and decorated the gym to   
give it a unique style. Two bleachers   
were set up for everyone to see the   
action. And the competitors were...  
  
Lita and Ken.  
  
A partisan crowd gathered for the   
contest, with Lita's family and friends   
on one set of bleachers, and Ken's party   
on the other side of the bleachers.  
  
Lita bid welcome to all in attendance.   
"Welcome, everyone! You're about to   
witness the biggest rear whipping that   
anyone has ever seen!"  
  
Ken countered, "That's right folks, I'm   
going to beat Lita!"  
  
"Wrong, you loser!" snapped Lita.  
  
"Ok, ok, let's just start our cooking,   
won't we? Folks, we're gonna make this   
like Iron Chef. We're going to have one   
hour to cook some things with cherries.   
Then we'll choose four judges, two from   
each side. The person with the higher   
score wins! And the loser... well, let's   
not worry about the loser..."  
  
"Ready, sneeze ball? GO!" yelled Lita.  
  
The crowds cheered as Lita and Ken went   
at it.  
  
When the hour was up, Lita and Ken had   
created three dishes each. Two of Lita's   
friends and two of Ken's relatives were   
chosen to taste and judge the items. When   
it was all over, Lita and Ken selected a   
neutral security guard, who was on duty   
in the gym, to announce the results.  
  
"All right: The results are: Judge 1, 20-  
18, for Lita. Judge 2, 19-16, for Ken.   
Judge 3, 20-18, for Lita. Judge 4, 19-18,   
for Ken."  
  
"Well," scoffed Lita, "Looks like the   
scoring is split, 2-2, so we'll add up   
the points."  
  
"All right," said the guard. "It comes   
out to... uh.. 74 points for Lita, and, ah,   
74 points for Ken! It's a tie, guys."  
  
Both sides cheered wildly. Lita and Ken   
looked visibly upset, thinking to   
themselves, how could I lose? How could   
the result be a split decision?  
  
Lita and Ken looked at each other and   
stared each other down with evil looks,   
while the audience rose on their feet,   
recognizing them for their superb   
cooking.  
  
  
  
Inside a college gymnasium down the   
street, Bob, a volleyball referee   
visiting from America, had his hands   
full.   
  
Jamie's volleyball match, thanks to   
intense pressure from someone with long,   
flowing blond hair, turned into a duel   
with Mina.  
  
Mina had invited five of her school   
friends (not one of them another Sailor   
Scout) to challenge Jamie, and five of   
his friends (not one of them other   
Knights).  
  
It was the fifth game, and it looked like   
everyone, including the referee, was   
getting tired. Except of course, for   
Jamie and Mina. They wanted to continue   
until the very end.  
  
Mina's team took the first two games, 40-  
38 and 35-33. Jamie's team then rallied   
back to win the next two games, 48-46 and   
37-35. As the scores from the previous   
games indicate, the action was fierce,   
intense, and very close. The same thing   
went for the fifth game, where the score   
was now 20-20. Both teams were past the   
15-point requirement to win.  
  
Mina squatted a huge ball down and over   
to the ground, for a 21-20 point lead. At   
that point, Bob blew the whistle, crossed   
his arms in front of him, and yelled   
"Game over!"  
  
"YAY!" Mina's team yelled. "We won! We   
won! We won!" Mina proceeded to strut in   
style to the net to face Jamie.  
  
"Loser!" she yelled, sticking out her   
tongue.  
  
But Jamie just stood there, smiling   
joyfully.  
  
Bob blew the whistle and said, "Hold it!   
I'm saying Game Over because you took up   
so much time playing, the time rented out   
for the gym has run out! And since you're   
supposed to win by a two-point margin,   
nobody wins! It's a draw!"  
  
Mina's eyes went wide open. She pushed   
her tongue back into her mouth and   
pleaded with Bob. "Come on, Sir, just one   
more?"  
  
"Sorry, I have to stick to the time   
limits," Bob responded. "Do you want to   
pay the 65,000 yen for the extra time?  
  
A sweatdrop appeared on Mina's face, as   
she turned back to Jamie, who was still   
smiling an evil smile.  
  
  
  
"Guess what, Darien," Greg said on the   
telephone. "Amy has just challenged me to   
a round of chess at her house."  
  
"So Amy finally wants to, ahem, 'Settle   
it', eh?" responded Darien.  
  
"Well whatever she's thinking, I'm ready   
to see if I can spring the trap that will   
make her take her ring," said Greg. "But   
the only thing is, I have to play the   
best chess that I can. This chess game...   
will be the most important game of my   
life."  
  
  
  
Greg rang the doorbell to the Mizuno   
household.  
  
It took a minute for someone to answer.  
  
Opening the door was a cranky Amy who   
looked like she just got out of the bed,   
still in her pajamas, her blue hair a   
dirty and smelly mess.  
  
"Oh, come in," grumbled Amy.  
  
"All right," said Greg. "You want to wash   
up before we start?"  
  
"Wash up? I vowed as soon as you got here   
to get started," she said, walking toward   
her living room, where the chessboard was   
already set.  
  
"Let's start, now," she said.  
  
Greg thought, and then said, "Very well."  
  
Greg had the Scout Ring of Sailor Mercury   
tucked neatly in his shirt pocket,   
waiting... and hoping... for the right   
moment.  
  
Amy started right out of the gate, taking   
four of Greg's pieces in the first seven   
moves... including his queen. But Greg came   
right back to take Amy's queen and a few   
other pieces.  
  
90 minutes passed. The intensity of the   
game grew, and grew, and grew... until the   
only two pieces left on the chessboard   
were Amy's king... and Greg's king.  
  
"Stalemate," said Greg.  
  
Amy looked at her king, then at Greg,   
then at the pieces that she took from   
Greg, then at Greg again. "I challenge   
you to another round," said Amy, "and   
this time I'll win!"  
  
"Uh..." thought Greg, "I accept, but before   
we start, I want to understand something   
about the king..."  
  
"Understand something, YOU?" shouted Amy.   
"Oh, what is it?" she grumbled.  
  
"Well, what if your king was here," said   
Greg, placing Amy's king into the corner.   
"And someone, like my pawn.. let's pretend   
that this is a pawn.." he said, taking out   
the ring, "was two squares diagonal,   
would the king be able to capture it?" He   
placed the ring two squares away   
diagonally from the King.  
  
"What a pathetic excuse for a pawn, a   
RING!" said Amy. "And besides, WHY DO YOU   
HAVE TO ASK THIS? YOU SHOULD KNOW THE   
ANSWER! If it's my turn, I'd move my king   
one square across, like this. You have no   
choice but to move your ring.. I mean,   
your pawn, up one square, since that's   
the only piece you have left besides your   
king who is on the other side of the   
board."  
  
Greg moved the ring up one square.  
  
Amy continued, "And then I capture your   
pawn, and your pawn is all..."  
  
Amy picked up the ring, pretending it was   
Greg's pawn... and stopped in the middle of   
her sentence. A sudden jolt of energy was   
beginning to rush through her, and her   
eyes bulged open. She flipped the ring   
back into Greg's hand, but that didn't   
stop it.  
  
A ray of light began to shine from all   
around the ring, and out of the   
sapphires. The bright light began to   
circle all around Amy, and her messy hair   
began to blow back in a gusty wind.  
  
Greg saw all of this, and thought to   
himself, it worked!  
  
But Greg failed to notice something at   
first... something strange was happening to   
his Mercury Dagger. It took him a moment   
before he realized it, and took the   
dagger out of his front pocket.  
  
Both Amy and Greg were blown by the hard   
wind gusts. The wind was so powerful they   
had to shut and squint their eyes.  
  
  
  
When it was all over, they opened their   
eyes.   
  
They weren't in Amy's living room   
anymore... but the place where they were   
looked very familiar, with a large   
brightness coming from one part of the   
sky.  
  
Greg thought for a second, and then he   
realized where they were.  
  
They were on their home planet.   
  
Mercury.  
  
He then looked at Amy, who instead of   
being in smelly pajamas and doffed in   
stinky hair, was instead in a beautiful   
white and blue gown that went down,   
almost touching the ground. Her hair was   
combed and styled perfectly -- it seemed   
as if the bright light from the Sun made   
it sparkle. Glowing on her forehead was   
the symbol of Mercury.  
  
She had transformed into the Princess of   
Mercury.  
  
He looked at the princess, shining   
beautifully, standing right in front of   
him, and then looked at himself,   
realizing that he was in his Mercury   
Knight uniform, holding his sword. He   
could feel a cool sensation on his head,   
that of the Mercury symbol.  
  
"Greg..." said a smiling Princess Amy   
quietly.  
  
"Amy..." said Mercury Knight in return.   
"How do you feel?"  
  
"I... I..."  
  
She paused and looked around. A tear as   
clear as ice flowed freely from her left   
eye, as the memories of the planet   
Mercury -- once her home -- flooded back to   
her.  
  
She then turned back to her knight, and   
said, "I... I've never felt better in my   
entire life."  
  
Mercury Knight sheathed his sword. He put   
his hands on Princess Amy's shoulders,   
then after a moment, lifted his right   
hand and wiped Amy's tear away with his   
thumb. He asked her, "What are you   
thinking right now?"  
  
"I... I'm very happy to be back," said   
Princess Amy, "and... I feel... clumsy and   
stupid..."  
  
"Clumsy and stupid?"  
  
"Yes," she replied, staring into her   
knight's brown eyes. "For calling you a   
twit and a klutz. I don't know what got   
into me."  
  
Mercury Knight smiled and gazed into his   
princess' blue eyes. "It's not your   
fault. Sorinya was going after you and   
the others with a hypnotic sonic wave... I   
mean, a hypnotic wave... well, it's   
different from what happened to me in the   
pool the other day. This wave was more   
powerful, and it brainwashed most of you   
guys. But it didn't work on Tuxedo Mask   
because his roses had the special power   
to block the waves from hitting him."  
  
"And you?" said the princess.  
  
Mercury Knight promptly showed her his   
left ring finger. "Because of this ring."  
  
Princess Amy got a good look at the ring,   
with the Mercury symbol and sapphires   
surrounding it.  
  
"It's beautiful!" she said, lifting his   
hand to get a closer look at it.  
  
"It's called a Scout Ring," said Mercury   
Knight. "There are eight of them that   
exist, two for each of the inner planets,   
excluding Earth. They never told you   
about this. There are two reasons why   
these rings exist. First, to protect any   
large attack like the hypnotic wave from   
affecting you. Second, to symbolize true   
love, friendship, affection and teamwork.   
Especially... when... both people from the   
same planet... are wearing one..."  
  
With that, Mercury Knight opened up his   
left hand... to reveal Amy's Scout Ring.  
  
The princess gazed at the ring for a   
moment. Then she looked at her knight.  
  
"Thank you, my love..." she responded,   
taking the ring and starting to place it   
on her left ring finger.  
  
Mercury Knight gently stopped her and   
took the ring away from her. "No, no...   
remember... this ring serves TWO purposes.   
Princess, if you'd allow me?"  
  
Amy gasped, then smiled and blushed   
lightly, nodding her approval.   
  
Mercury Knight placed the ring on the tip   
of Princess Amy's pinky finger... and as he   
pushed the ring gently forward, said,   
"for you, Amy, the Princess of Mercury...   
may this ring that I place on your finger   
help you to combat the strong evil forces   
that Sorinya, or anyone from the   
Negaverse, may throw at you.. and may this   
ring symbolize.. my.. unending friendship,   
love, and affection to you. Whether our   
lives are short or long... whether we die   
in a hundred years or in the next minute...   
may you and I cherish this moment...   
forever."  
  
Princess Amy was now uncontrollably   
shedding more tears from her eyes, as she   
chokingly responded: "I... I'm sorry if my   
words hurt you at all, even if I didn't   
mean it... but... I promise to you, right   
here, right now... that no matter what   
happens to us... I will always be with you.   
I will never let you go. I will be with   
you... forever... I.. I love you, Gregory...   
Mercury Knight."  
  
The two wrapped their arms around each   
other, and started to inch their heads   
closer.   
  
"I love you, Princess Amy... Sailor   
Mercury."  
  
They closed their eyes and kissed.   
  
They kissed like they had never kissed   
before.  
  
It was only the fourth time that they...   
well, you get the point.  
  
Suddenly, a tremendous gust of wind   
surrounded them again.  
  
When Greg and Amy opened their eyes, they   
found themselves de-transformed,   
embracing one another back inside Amy's   
living room. Amy found herself nice and   
clean, wearing a yellow dress skirt and a   
white blouse.  
  
"I think... we're back!" said Amy.  
  
Greg inhaled and exhaled deeply. "Yep.   
That's one down... eight to go."  
  
"The others are still under the spell?"  
  
"I'm afraid so. Well, now that you're   
back in one piece... and on our side.. we   
have to..."  
  
Amy cut him off. "We have to play another   
chess game. Remember, you accepted my   
challenge!" she said smiling.  
  
"Yes, yes, I did," said Greg, "but we   
have a bigger problem on our hands. We   
have to fix our friends up first."  
  
Amy thought a moment. "You're right."  
  
Greg gave Amy a quizzed look. "You sure   
your head is screwed on right?"  
  
Amy chuckled and gave Greg a peck on the   
cheek.  
  
Greg raised his eyebrows. "Well, that   
answers that... All right, let's call up   
Darien on the phone and see if we can pay   
him a visit to plot our strategy."  
  
A quick call to Darien gave Greg the   
confirmation he needed.  
  
"Let's head out, shall we?" asked Greg,   
extending his arm in a gentlemanly   
fashion.  
  
"Yes, let's," said a smiling Amy,   
wrapping her arm around his. "As a matter   
of fact, I think I have an idea right   
now..."  
  
  
  
Meanwhile, back in the Negaverse...  
  
"Your highness," said Eagloria to Queen   
Sorinya, "It appears as if Sailor Mercury   
has been given the Scout Ring."  
  
"Scout Ring!" said Sorinya in disbelief.   
"HOW DID THEY GET THEIR HANDS ON THOSE!!   
sigh Well, I'll worry about her in due   
course. As long as we have the others   
under the spell, we have to make sure   
they don't get the rings... I KNOW! I will   
turn all of them into one evil force...   
AGAINST Amy and Greg!! HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!"  
  
*********************************  
  
End of Chapter 14  
  
I hope you enjoyed this touching little scene  
at the end.  
  
Now, how will Greg and Amy get the scout rings  
to the others?  
  
The answer comes in Chapter 15 of   
The Saga of Mercury. 


	15. Two Showdowns: Long and Quick

DISCLAIMER  
  
As usual, "Sailor Moon" and all related characters  
are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, TOEI  
Animation and other agencies.  
  
The Saga of Mercury story is copyrighted by me, however  
content in some chapters is based on the Mercury  
Knight Stories as described in the Chapter 1 Introduction.  
  
Rose quote located in this chapter is based on text from  
"The Rose Ceremony", written by the Honorable Mark Ovard.  
This text is located on the Dallas-Fort Worth Wedding Exchange  
website, at http://www.dfwx.com The author of The Saga of   
Mercury does not challenge the rights to the text of   
"The Rose Ceremony".  
  
The song "Yatta" is performed by Happatai. The author of this   
story does not challenge the rights to the title and lyrics   
of this song.  
  
******  
You can view released chapters in PDF format by visiting  
the official web site of this fanfic, at:  
http://members.aol.com/jrhorse98/sagaofmercury/index.html  
  
You can also view these chapters at:  
http://www.fanfiction.net  
http://www.moonromance.net  
http://www.mediaminer.org/fanfic  
http://www.fandomination.net  
http://www.efanfiction.net  
  
Chapters are also posted weekly at the Sailor Moon newsgroup:  
news:alt.fan.sailor-moon  
******  
  
The Saga of Mercury  
Chapter 15  
Two Showdowns: Long... and Quick  
  
In the middle of the park, the sun slowly   
setting behind the clouds in the west,   
stood Sailor Mercury and Mercury Knight.  
  
They, along with Tuxedo Mask, Luna and   
Artemis, told the other scouts that they   
had to come to a mandatory meeting in the   
park tonight to discuss the future of the   
Sailor Scouts and the Knights. During   
that meeting, Sailor Mercury and Mercury   
Knight would attempt to give to them   
their respective rings... and Tuxedo Mask   
would try to change Sailor Moon and   
Sailor Mini Moon's ways.  
  
"It's getting late," said Sailor Mercury.   
"They should have been here by now."  
  
"I guess we're the only two that are 100%   
punctual," responded Mercury Knight.  
  
Sailor Mercury then looked in the   
distance... and spotted everyone walking   
their way.  
  
"Ah, here they come now," said Sailor   
Mercury. "But... they're all walking   
together!"  
  
Walking toward Sailor Mercury and Mercury   
Knight from a distance were, Venus   
Knight, Sailor Venus, Jupiter Knight,   
Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Moon, Sailor Mini   
Moon, Tuxedo Mask, Sailor Mars and Mars   
Knight. They all seemed to be marching in   
unison, just like soldiers.  
  
Sprinting ahead of them were Luna and   
Artemis.  
  
"Do you think they finally made amends?"   
asked Mercury Knight. "Do you think   
Tuxedo Mask used the powers from his   
roses to turn them the right way?"  
  
"Well, here come Luna and Artemis, maybe   
they'll tell us," responded Sailor   
Mercury.  
  
Luna and Artemis were running ahead   
toward Sailor Mercury and Mercury Knight...   
but with worried looks on their faces.  
  
"You two, we have a problem!" said Luna.  
  
"Something's gone wrong with all of   
them..." started Artemis.  
  
"MARS LOVE BLADE CHARGE!" yelled Mars   
Knight.  
  
"LOOK OUT!" yelled Mercury Knight.  
  
Sailor Mercury and Mercury Knight jumped   
out of the way of Mars Knight's love   
blade attack... just in time.  
  
"CRESCENT BEAM!" shouted Sailor Venus.  
  
Mercury Knight had to split off from   
Sailor Mercury as each tried to dodge the   
Crescent Beam attack.  
  
Soon everyone was throwing their best   
shots at the two.  
  
Mercury Knight took a brief stillness to   
try to get an answer from Tuxedo Mask.   
"What's going on, Tuxedo Mask?"  
  
"What's going on," he responded, "is that   
I'm tired of YOU giving all the   
suggestions around here! I AM YOUR LEADER   
and I can do whatever I want... and I'm   
making sure that you, along with your   
Sailor friend, don't give suggestions   
anymore!"  
  
"Greg!" yelled Sailor Mercury. Mercury   
Knight turned around to see Sailor   
Mercury look up at a high tree limb. She   
then looked back at Mercury Knight and   
winked at him.  
  
"SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!" yelled Sailor   
Jupiter.  
  
"BURNING MANDALA!" yelled Sailor Mars.  
  
Sailor Mercury and Mercury Knight were   
dancing again, trying to avoid the   
attacks. As soon as Sailor Mercury had a   
free chance, she formed a fog bubble and   
dispersed it, yelling "SHABON SPRAY!"  
  
As soon as the fog spread out to cover   
everyone, Sailor Mercury and Mercury   
Knight darted up to the tree limb.  
  
"Come out wherever you are!" yelled   
Sailor Moon, trying to see through the   
fog. "For evil and darkness, I AM SAILOR   
MOON, the CHAMPION OF THE NEGAVERSE!"  
  
Sailor Mercury gasped. Mercury Knight's   
eyes went wide open.  
  
"LET ME AT 'EM! LET ME AT 'EM!" yelled an   
alert Sailor Mini Moon.  
  
Mercury Knight turned to his partner.   
"Ideas?"  
  
"We need to look at this situation more   
carefully."  
  
"Ok, why don't we do an computer   
interface to see if we can pick up   
anything?"  
  
"Right," responded Sailor Mercury.  
  
The two joined hands and activated their   
super computer visors. A golden yellow   
tint could be seen covering their eyes.  
  
They zoomed in and scanned the scouts,   
the knights, and Tuxedo Mask.   
  
Mercury Knight spotted pulses of waves.   
"I can see some waves coming out of   
their.. no, wait.. they're going INTO their   
head."  
  
Sailor Mercury then did some research in   
her brain. "These are very different   
waves than the ones that I studied before   
we came here."  
  
"They've got to be hypnotic waves... maybe   
the guys are getting different...   
instructions... from the Negaverse?" said   
Mercury Knight.  
  
"That has to be it," responded Sailor   
Mercury. "The Negaverse... has turned our   
friends against us, and.. but.. I don't get   
it.. Tuxedo Mask.. wasn't he on our side?"  
  
"Well, I don't know," said Mercury   
Knight. "The rose should have protected   
him. Maybe it was the change in the wave   
frequencies?"  
  
"Or, he might have still been Darien when   
this happened..." said Sailor Mercury,   
"but, we'll have to discuss this later.. I   
just thought of something..."  
  
Sailor Mercury had to communicate this   
idea fast, since the fog was starting to   
vanish.  
  
"I think the logical thing to do," she   
said, "is to try to get Tuxedo Mask back...   
then we'll deal with the others."  
  
"I'm with you," he answered.  
  
"All right," Sailor Mercury shouted   
toward the throng, "if you want to fight   
with the Negaverse instead of against it,   
then so be it! For love and justice, I am   
the sailor-suited pretty soldier of   
intelligence, and protector of water! I   
AM SAILOR MERCURY!"  
  
"And I'm the protector and defender of   
the planet Mercury, and its princess! I   
AM MERCURY KNIGHT, and don't you forget   
about that!"  
  
"In the name of Mercury," said Sailor   
Mercury...  
  
"...WE SHALL PUNISH YOU!" said both of   
them.  
  
"And right now, we speak for the Moon,   
too!" said Mercury Knight.  
  
The fog was slowly dispersing. The first   
figure that they could see through the   
fog... was Tuxedo Mask.  
  
Tuxedo Mask wasted no time in throwing a   
rose... black in color... directly at Sailor   
Mercury. The rose was traveling so fast,   
Sailor Mercury had no time to react. As   
she was about to shut her eyes, the hand   
of her knight caught the rose.  
  
Mercury Knight quickly looked at the   
leaves to determine the wind speed, then   
threw the rose back to Tuxedo Mask,   
saying, "Ha! Why don't you try again,   
Mister Tuxedo?"  
  
Tuxedo Mask stepped away from the rose's   
path... But the rose curved direction,   
thanks to the wind. The stem stuck right   
into Tuxedo Mask's chest.   
  
Tuxedo Mask opened his eyes. "AAHHH...   
what's... happening..." he struggled to say.   
He was clenching tightly to the rose,   
which was beginning to glow a bright red.   
He started to shake and tremor, and went   
down on one knee... then the tremors   
stopped. He removed the rose, looked up   
at Sailor Mercury and Mercury Knight.. and   
jumped up to meet them.  
  
"What... happened? I felt a little dizzy   
there," said Tuxedo Mask, removing his   
top hat and holding his head.  
  
Mercury Knight had a hand on his sword   
handle. "Quickly, whom do you work for?"   
he asked.  
  
"Whom do I work for?" I'm Tuxedo Mask,   
friend of the Sailor Scouts!" responded   
Tuxedo Mask.  
  
Sailor Mercury smiled. "Welcome back!"  
  
"Did we cure the others yet?" asked   
Tuxedo Mask.  
  
"Nope, remember, you got hit, too,"   
responded Mercury Knight, "so we wanted   
to wait for you before we continued. Do   
you remember the plan that we discussed?"  
  
Tuxedo Mask took a moment, and then said,   
"Right. Do you have the rings?"  
  
"Right here," said Mercury Knight, taking   
out the white box.  
  
"All right," said Tuxedo Mask. "Remember,   
I'll try to get Sailor Moon and Sailor   
Mini Moon back first, then we'll go."  
  
"Right," said Sailor Mercury. "Ready, my   
love?"  
  
"Ready as I'll ever be," said Mercury   
Knight. "All right Tuxedo Mask, we'll   
wait for your signal."  
  
Tuxedo Mask looks down and sees the fog   
lifting. A moment later, Venus Knight   
spotted the trio in the trees. He pointed   
to them with his sword and yelled, "There   
they are! VENUS LOVE BLADE CHARGE!"  
  
The three leaped out of the way in the   
nick of time. Sailor Mercury and Mercury   
Knight landed on their feet and started   
to run, trying to find a perfect waiting   
spot. But they realized it wouldn't be   
easy, when they turned their heads and   
saw six of their former friends chase   
after them. "Get them!" yelled Sailor   
Mars.  
  
That left Tuxedo Mask alone with Sailor   
Moon and Sailor Mini Moon.  
  
"Sailor Moon... Sailor Mini Moon..." said   
Tuxedo Mask, "stop what you are doing.   
You are being controlled by the   
Negaverse."  
  
The two girls took out their Moon Rods.   
"We'll show you what happens when you   
betray us," yelled Sailor Moon.  
  
"You've got no right to leave the   
Negaverse and follow them!" yelled Sailor   
Mini Moon.  
  
"MOON SPIRAL HEART ATTACK!"  
"PINK SUGAR HEART ATTACK!"  
  
Tuxedo Mask immediately put both of his   
hands into his suit and whipped out two   
large bouquets of red and pink roses. All   
of the roses started to glow brightly.   
They deflected the attacks of Sailor Moon   
and Sailor Mini Moon into the cloudy sky.  
  
Sailor Moon then opened her eyes wide,   
and dropped her Moon Rod on the ground.   
Sailor Mini Moon did the same. Both of   
them stared at the roses.   
  
The roses sent a glowing red light toward   
and around both of them.  
  
Tuxedo Mask started to look at the trees   
and saw the wind begin to pick up around   
the three of them.  
  
  
A quarter mile away, Sailor Mercury and   
Mercury Knight were crouched in the   
bushes.  
  
Sailor Mercury deactivated her computer   
visor and said, "All right, he's done it..   
now it's our turn."  
  
Mercury Knight stood up from the bushes.   
"HEY NEGACREEPS! WE'RE HERE! COME AND   
FIND US!"  
  
It didn't take more than a few seconds   
for Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor   
Venus, Mars Knight, Jupiter Knight and   
Venus Knight to surround them.  
  
Sailor Mercury stood up and looked   
around. A hint of nervousness could be   
seen in the expression on her face.  
  
Mars Knight, Jupiter Knight and Venus   
Knight drew their swords... and Mercury   
Knight drew the open box of rings.  
  
Mars Knight was about to charge toward   
them... but stopped when he saw two rings   
with the Mars symbol on it.  
  
Jupiter Knight dropped his sword when he   
saw two Jupiter rings.  
  
Venus Knight lowered his sword and said,   
"Hey, are those mine?"  
  
Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter and Sailor   
Venus inched closer for a better look.  
  
Sailor Mars looked in awe at the two Mars   
rings with the diamonds.  
  
Sailor Jupiter, looking at the turquoise   
Jupiter rings, said softly, "they're   
beautiful."  
  
"Opal?" said Sailor Venus, looking at her   
rings. "My favorite color!"  
  
Mars Knight reached out to touch the   
large Mars ring... and immediately felt   
something weird begin to travel through   
his body.  
  
The other five affected by the Negaverse   
started to have similar feelings as well.  
  
Sailor Mercury looked at Mercury Knight   
and smiled. Her knight smiled back.  
  
They then braced themselves for what was   
about to come next. They could start to   
see the light emanating from the rings   
begin to surround the six, and they   
noticed that the wind was starting to   
blow stronger.  
  
Sailor Mercury clutched hard to Mercury   
Knight, who was now holding an empty   
white box.  
  
When the wind died down and the lights   
went away, Sailor Mercury and Mercury   
Knight looked around.  
  
Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter and Sailor   
Venus were gone. So were Mars Knight,   
Jupiter Knight and Venus Knight.  
  
Sailor Mercury activated her visor and   
zoomed toward the spot where Tuxedo Mask,   
Sailor Moon and Sailor Mini Moon were.   
They were gone, too.  
  
"Everybody's disappeared!" said Sailor   
Mercury, who was starting to go into a   
panic. "We haven't lost them, have we?"  
  
A calm Mercury Knight put his shoulders   
on his princess, and said, "No, no, we   
haven't. I have a feeling they've gone to   
a better place, for now..."  
  
"What?" said Sailor Mercury. "I don't   
understand what you're..."  
  
"Well," responded Mercury Knight, who   
tapped back into the psychic powers given   
to him by being an original Rainbow   
Crystal carrier. "They've gone back to   
the Moon. They're getting their memories   
back."  
  
"Whew," responded Sailor Mercury. "Well,   
they are coming back, aren't they?"  
  
Mercury Knight took a moment to think,   
and then responded, "Yep, in a few   
minutes they'll be back... as their normal   
selves. Which gives us enough time to..."  
  
The two suddenly felt something furry on   
their feet...  
  
It was Luna and Artemis.  
  
"Hi!" said happy Sailor Mercury, bending   
down to grab Luna. "Where have you two   
been?"  
  
"Uh..." Artemis began, a sweatdrop on his   
head as Mercury Knight picked him up.   
"Well, we..."  
  
"I hate to say this to you, Sailor   
Mercury, and I hate to say this even to   
myself, but that was too much for us! I   
was scared, but Artemis was scared too! I   
thought he'd at least stand up like he's   
suppose to."  
  
Artemis was embarrassed. "No comment," he   
said.  
  
Sailor Mercury and Mercury Knight de-  
transformed.  
  
Amy and Greg walked hand in hand, Luna   
and Artemis at their side, towards the   
spot where Greg predicted the others   
would soon return.  
  
"Eventually," said Luna, "we'll have to   
deal with this Sorinya from the   
Negaverse."  
  
"Yes," said Artemis, "we now know of the   
hypnotic wave that she can produce, and   
we know that we have a barrier against   
it, so now we have to focus our efforts   
on how to get to her. Amy, do you know   
what could be the next step for..."  
  
Artemis stopped talking when he looked   
up.  
  
Amy's eyes were frozen, staring and   
smiling at Greg, as they continued to   
walk.  
  
"AHEM!" said Artemis.  
  
Amy and Greg blinked their eyes and   
stopped walking.  
  
"Oh," said Amy, blushing, "sorry! I think   
the next step is to find some place that   
will lead us to her. Remember, we found   
Queen Beryl in a part of the arcade, so   
there must be some other place around   
here where we'd get to her."  
  
"Sounds like a good plan," said Greg.   
"But right now, our friends, turned   
enemies, turned friends, are coming back   
to us." He pointed in front of him.   
"Right over there... in 3... 2.. 1.. NOW!"  
  
Greg was right on time, as the wind   
picked up once more. Returning back to   
Earth were Serena, Rini, Darien, Raye,   
Chad, Lita, Ken, Mina and Jamie.  
  
"AMY! GREG!" yelled Rini as she ran to   
embrace both of them. Everyone else   
walked toward them, wearing smiles, to   
exchange greetings.  
  
"Enjoying yourselves?" said an evil   
voice.  
  
Everyone gasped and turned around to see   
a youma molded in the shape of an eagle.  
  
"I am Eagloria, servant of Queen Sorinya   
and the Negaverse, and I will wipe all of   
you off the face of the Earth for leaving   
us!"  
  
Greg snapped, "Darien, take the girls   
away, we've got this covered."  
  
Chad responded, "Wait, dude, WE have this   
covered?"  
  
"I think he means him, you, me and   
Jamie," said Ken.  
  
"Hey guys, I think I remember what Greg   
wants us to do," replied Jamie.  
  
Darien led the girls and the cats a safe   
distance away, leaving Greg, Chad, Ken   
and Jamie to face Eagloria.  
  
"Let's go!" yelled Greg. "MERCURY KNIGHT   
POWER!"  
"MARS KNIGHT POWER!"  
"JUPITER KNIGHT POWER!"  
"VENUS KNIGHT POWER!"  
  
Wasting no time, the four knights drew   
their swords and set up for their special   
attack.  
  
Eagloria also wasted no time, blasting an   
enormous hypnotic wave toward the four.  
  
But the wave didn't seem to break their   
focus. They bunched together and got   
ready.  
  
"All right," yelled Mercury Knight.   
"You're about to find out what happens   
when you mess up our minds!"  
  
"In the name of the Moon Kingdom, you are   
like so screwed!" said Mars Knight.  
  
"We love our friends and our princesses!"   
yelled Jupiter Knight.  
  
"And we won't let you break that bond,"   
replied Venus Knight.  
  
"Sure, sure, sure..." responded Eagloria.   
"Just try me!"  
  
Mercury Knight pointed his sword toward   
Eagloria. "MERCURY ICE BLADE!"  
  
Mars Knight, standing to Mercury Knight's   
right side, pointed his sword to that of   
Mercury's. "MARS FIRE BLADE!"  
  
Jupiter Knight did the same on the left   
side. "JUPITER THUNDER BLADE!"  
  
Venus Knight pointed his sword toward   
Eagloria, with the sword over Mercury   
Knight's head. "VENUS LOVE BLADE!"  
  
The four knights braced themselves.  
  
Mercury Knight yelled "SUPER ATTACK!"  
  
At this, all four swords were beginning   
to react. Bright and intense light began   
to shine from each of the four sword   
blades: Blue light from Mercury Knight's   
sword, Red light from Mars Knight's   
sword, Green light from Jupiter Knight's   
sword, and Yellow light from Venus   
Knight's sword.  
  
Mercury Knight thrust his sword forward,   
and all four knights yelled in unison,   
"CHAAAAAAARGE!"  
  
As Mercury Knight thrust his sword, the   
blue light began to shoot out of the tip   
toward Eagloria. The red, green and   
yellow lights joined and seemed to dance   
around the blue light as they made their   
way toward Eagloria.  
  
Eagloria then threw out the most powerful   
sonic wave that she could... and her   
powers, and that of the knights, clashed   
briefly... before the knights gained the   
advantage. The powerful colors of light   
smashed through the wave and hit Eagloria   
squarely in her chest.  
  
Eagloria didn't have time to yell   
anything... she exploded in gray smoke as   
soon as the attack of the knights hit   
her.  
  
  
The knights withdrew their swords and de-  
transformed.  
  
Greg then said gently, "the aggressive   
knights get their revenge... but next time,   
we'll be cautious on using aggression."  
  
Serena and Rini hugged Darien, while the   
other girls went up to hug and kiss their   
knights.  
  
  
Having gotten rid of Sorinya's latest   
challenge, and a youma in one swoop, the   
sailor team went their separate ways to   
go home... it was getting late at this   
point.  
  
Greg and Amy walked over to the train   
station so that Greg could catch his   
train back.   
  
But they didn't plan on a certain young   
girl tagging along with them... Rini.  
  
Rini had asked Serena and Darien if she   
could go with Amy and Greg to the train   
station. While Serena protested, Darien   
made her change her mind, and the two   
agreed.  
  
"I'm so happy about you guys!" said a   
beaming Rini, holding their hands. "Amy,   
Greg, you're swell!"  
  
"Uh, gee, thanks!" replied Greg. "What   
makes you think that?"  
  
"It was the two of you that saved all of   
us! You know, from that hypnotic... thing?"  
  
"Actually, don't give me the credit,"   
replied Amy, "Darien had something to do   
with it too, remember?"  
  
"Yeah," responded Rini, "but you two   
brought back six of them! Raye, Lita,   
Mina, and the guys... I'm very happy about   
that!"  
  
Greg tapped into his psychic powers, on a   
hunch.  
  
"Say, Rini," said Greg, "it sure is nice   
to have you around to walk me back to the   
train station. But is that the only   
reason you're walking back with us,   
because you're happy about us?"  
  
"MM-HMM!" snapped a nodding Rini.  
  
"There's nothing else, eh?"  
  
"Nope! I'm just very, very, very, VERY   
HAPPYYY! I'm so happy I can sing! YATTA!   
YATTA! YATTA! YATTA!"  
  
Rini was holding Amy and Greg's hands so   
tight, their arms flopped up and down   
each time Rini yelled "Yatta."  
  
Greg stiffened his arm and said, "Rini,   
stop. You know Amy and I can't stand that   
song."  
  
Rini stopped, and so did Amy.  
  
"Greg, your train!" Amy protested.  
  
"I've got time," responded Greg.  
  
Greg turned to Rini.  
  
"This doesn't have to do with the rings,   
does it?" he asked.  
  
Rini's face gave a confused look. Her   
eyes were bulging and she was stammering   
for some answer.  
  
"Are you upset because you don't have a   
ring and you want one?" asked Greg.  
  
"Ummm...." said Rini.  
  
"UMMM?" said Greg.  
  
Rini dropped her face, frowned, and gave   
her answer in a low voice.   
  
"yeah."  
  
Greg crouched down and lifted Rini's   
chin. "Oh, don't worry about it! You   
don't need a ring! Your love for Serena   
and Darien, and their love for you, is   
what counts, and is what really saved   
you. The symbol for that was the rose... or   
I should say, that bouquet that you got."  
  
"But I WANT A RING!" stomped Rini.  
  
"Hey Rini, do you know what?" said Amy,   
crouching down. "I bet that if you work   
hard at it, and you grow up like the rest   
of us, you'll get a ring."  
  
Rini thought for a moment when she heard   
this, then frowned again.  
  
"Rini, listen," continued Amy. "You're   
still young so you still have a lot to   
learn. Why, when I was your age, I still   
had things I needed to learn... and I   
wasn't as smart back then as I am now.   
But, I'm going off topic here... don't   
worry about the ring. The rings are   
symbols of friendship and love between   
two people, but what really is the most   
important gift of love someone can give...   
is a rose.  
  
"Greg and I have a friend who lives in   
America -- his name is Mark. He said that   
in the past, the rose was considered a   
symbol of love and a single rose always   
meant only one thing -- 'I love you.' He   
also said, that when you do something   
wrong to someone, it might be difficult   
to say I'm sorry. If you can't find the   
words to say, then you can give that   
person a rose -- because that rose says   
what matters most of all and overpowers   
all other things and all other words.   
That is why the rose is the most   
important thing -- and the most important   
gift -- that you can have."  
  
Rini smiled as Amy was describing this to   
her. Then Rini hugged her and said,   
"Thanks, Amy! You're cool!"  
  
"I'm cool?" said Amy. "What about Greg?"  
  
Greg braced himself.  
  
"He's cool too!" yelled Rini, going over   
to hug him.  
  
  
The time came for Amy and Rini to say   
goodbye to Greg at the train station.  
  
Amy thought for a moment as Greg was   
standing at the door of the bullet train,   
then said to Rini, "Rini, is that Luna-P   
over there?"  
  
"LUNA-P!" Rini yelled. "Where?"  
  
As Rini turned her head, Amy had time to   
shut her eyes and plant a long kiss on   
Greg.  
  
Greg opened his eyes once or twice to   
make sure Rini wasn't looking.  
  
When they finished kissing, Rini faced   
them again, hands on hips. "What were you   
doing?"  
  
"Uh.." said Amy, "... playing! I was playing   
with you! A smart girl has to have fun   
sometimes, right?"  
  
Rini gave Amy a look, then smiled and   
said, "yeah, I guess so."  
  
"OK guys, I'm on my way!" said Greg. "Bye   
Rini! I'll be back tomorrow! Don't you   
forget!"  
  
"I won't!" replied Rini.  
  
Greg stepped into the train and looked at   
Amy -- for what seemed to be an eternity --   
as the doors closed and the bullet train   
started on its way.  
  
  
Amy walked Rini back to Serena's house,   
and then walked home.  
  
In Serena's house, Rini was telling Luna   
about Amy and Greg, and about roses.  
  
Luna thought to herself, "Amy and Greg   
are not like Serena... they always seem   
very kind and gentle -- and cheerful --   
whenever they're around Rini..."  
  
Then Luna had a vision appear in her   
head.  
  
To which she replied... "Amy and Greg...   
better start getting used to that soon..."  
  
  
***************************  
End of Chapter 15  
  
Now that everyone is back together, thanks  
to the Scout Rings (and those bouquets),  
what will Queen Sorinya do next?  
  
Will she continue to target Amy?  
  
Or will she change her plans and try  
something else?  
  
You'll find out in the sixteenth chapter  
of The Saga of Mercury. 


	16. Andrew Finds Out

DISCLAIMER  
  
As usual, "Sailor Moon" and all related characters  
are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, TOEI  
Animation and other agencies.  
  
The Saga of Mercury story is copyrighted by me, however  
content in some chapters is based on the Mercury  
Knight Stories as described in the Chapter 1 Introduction.  
  
The names of racetracks and racecar drivers listed   
in this chapter are affiliated with the National Association   
of Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). The author does not   
challenge the rights to the names and likenesses of the   
drivers, track names and other related marks.  
  
******  
You can view released chapters in PDF format by visiting  
the official web site of this fanfic, at:  
http://members.aol.com/jrhorse98/sagaofmercury/index.html  
  
You can also view these chapters at:  
http://www.fanfiction.net  
http://www.moonromance.net  
http://www.mediaminer.org/fanfic  
http://www.fandomination.net  
http://www.efanfiction.net  
  
Chapters are also posted weekly at the Sailor Moon newsgroup:  
news:alt.fan.sailor-moon  
******  
  
  
  
The Saga of Mercury  
Chapter 16   
Andrew Finds Out  
  
In the Game Center Crown, Mina was up to   
her normal post-school routine.  
  
Andrew, who was behind the counter   
serving Jamie a chocolate shake, had a   
gut feeling...  
  
"Mina's been playing that new racecar   
game every single day after school," said   
Andrew.  
  
Jamie glanced back. "So she's that good,   
eh?"  
  
Andrew replied, "Yep. I have a feeling   
that any minute now, she's going to break   
the..."  
  
"YAHOO!" went a loud shout from the area   
of the racecar game. "I broke the record   
at Dover!"  
  
"That's seven of them now in the last ten   
days," replied Andrew.  
  
"Where's Dover?" asked Jamie.  
  
"Dover's a raceway in the United States.   
Mina has broken the record with that game   
at Dover now, at uh... Indianapolis, Pike's   
Peak, Talladega, Daytona, and a few   
others."  
  
Mina ran up to hug Jamie. "I did it   
again! I did it again! DOVER IS MINE!"   
She looked at Andrew. "Andrew, Andrew..."  
  
Andrew silenced the excited Mina with a   
chocolate shake, which she quickly jugged   
down in one swipe.  
  
"So, uh.." started Jamie, ".. now what?"  
  
Mina gave Jamie a peck on the cheek.   
"DARLINGTON!" she cried before running   
back to deposit the coins to start again.  
  
Jamie had a sweatdrop on his head. It was   
the first time he ever saw Mina play in   
the Game Center, and he thought to   
himself, Mina does ALL THIS in her spare   
time?  
  
Jamie tried to turn his attention back to   
Andrew.  
  
"So, uh.." Jamie started. "What have you   
been doing with yourself lately? I mean.."  
  
"JEFF GORDON," yelled Mina from across   
the aisle, "KISS MY..."  
  
Jamie covered his ears so he wouldn't   
hear the next word.  
  
"Wow... uh, well, nothing much has been   
going on lately. I'm trying to find some   
other girlfriend.. Alyssa and I ended our   
relationship a couple of days ago.. I'll   
admit I was thinking about Mina... but   
YOU'VE got her! I mean, you, Jamie,   
getting someone as beautiful as her! I'm   
proud of you? How DID you do it?"  
  
Jamie thought for a moment to try to find   
the right words, remembering that it was   
through a letter that he received at his   
school's gym one day, to realizing that   
he was the Venus Knight, that he realized   
that he actually had feelings for Mina..   
not bad feelings like he had before... but   
other feelings... from deep inside.  
  
"I guess I just bumped into her... and the   
rest was history," replied Jamie.  
  
"THAT simple, eh?" said Andrew. "Well   
whatever you did, it sure worked... Say,   
have you ever tried to challenge her at   
the racecar game, or some of the other   
games around here? Others have tried to   
match what she's done, but nobody's been   
able to go as far as she has."  
  
"Who, me?" said Jamie. "Eh, not really, I   
mean, I'm into athletics, but not the   
kind where you move a joystick or a wheel   
and rapidly press buttons or move the   
gearshift..."  
  
"Hey, Jamie, you're the man. I'm gonna   
give you a free play the next time Mina   
starts up."  
  
"No, Andrew, you don't..."  
  
"I insist, Jamie! I wanna see how well   
you do."  
  
Jamie sighed, and agreed. "Thank you very   
much!"  
  
  
Meanwhile, back in the Negaverse...  
  
"OOOOOH!" said a disgruntled Sorinya   
through her teeth. "I can't count how   
many of my monsters the Sailor Scouts   
have sent down the drain! OH, I'M SO   
FURIOUS! AAAHH! So be it! I'm so angry,   
I'll do whatever the heck I want now!   
I'll take my rage out on the whole world!   
Amy Mizuno CAN WAIT FOR LATER!!!"  
  
  
"YES!" screamed Mina. "Two in a row, and   
the records just keep on falling!"  
  
She then noticed someone familiar sit in   
the other seat next to her.  
  
"And how are we today?" said Jamie.  
  
"Oh Jamie, I'm so ecstatic! I'm gonna   
take on Watkins Glen now!"  
  
"Mind if I... challenge you?" asked Jamie.  
  
Mina responded with bulging eyes. "Jamie...   
YOU? You want to challenge the all,   
powerful, ME, in a driving race?"  
  
Jamie locked eyes with Mina, and said in   
a low tone, "If you don't mind, my   
princess..."  
  
Mina blushed slightly, then moved to her   
confident voice, "well, if you don't mind   
a thrashing... sure, why not?"  
  
Jamie turned to his screen as Andrew came   
over to program the game and select the   
Watkins Glen track for both of them.   
"Good luck..." he said.   
  
A small crowd had now gathered around the   
racing game. Mina was crouched down,   
eyebrows down, teeth clenched, ready to   
go, while Jamie was just relaxed, gently   
placing his hands on the wheel and his   
feet on the pedals. He wanted to make his   
princess feel proud... he was going to lose   
to her on purpose.  
  
The loud, deep rumbling of the engines   
could be heard coming from the game's   
speakers, as Jamie and Mina each had   
their own first-person views of the   
Watkins Glen track. The announcer's voice   
came on... "3... 2... 1... GO!"  
  
Mina and Jamie started on their way. At   
first, Mina drew clear from Jamie by   
several car lengths as they went into the   
right-handed turn. Jamie paced himself   
not too far from Mina as their cars went   
full speed up the hill. Mina ripped the   
throttle open on the straightaway, with   
Jamie trailing.   
  
Mina braced herself as she put her foot   
on the brakes for the chicane, then made   
her way to the sweeping right-hander.   
  
Andrew yelled to Jamie, "Come on Jamie!   
Get closer! Get closer to her! Don't do   
it like that!"  
  
Jamie thought to himself as he entered   
the chicane, "Gee, this is fun!" He then   
realized that he was in low gear all this   
time... he had never moved himself up to   
high gear.  
  
As soon as he cleared the sweeping turn,   
still quite a distance from Mina's car,   
Jamie shifted up to high gear. He   
exploded toward Mina's car.  
  
Mina thought that she had this won... she'd   
beat her boyfriend, and knight, easily.  
  
Her thoughts were dashed when Jamie's   
blue car streaked right by her on the   
left side.  
  
Mina's eyes bulged yet again... she   
couldn't believe what she was seeing! She   
pushed both feet down on the gas pedal   
now, as the two of them started to really   
duke it out.  
  
People were now starting to notice them.   
Everyone stopped whatever they were   
playing... everyone stopped ripping tickets   
out of the prize machines... to see Jamie   
and Mina slugging it out.  
  
They were wheel-to-wheel -- hood-to-hood --   
as they made their way around the last   
turn and toward the finish line.  
  
"Come on, Mina! Don't let that guy beat   
you," said someone.  
  
"Get her Jamie! You've almost got her!"   
yelled Andrew in encouragement.  
  
By this point, Jamie's facial expressions   
were mirroring that of Mina... angry, teeth   
clenched, feeling as if they really were   
driving a professional stock car.  
  
They crossed the finish line almost   
simultaneously, which drew a large   
"OOOHHHH!" from the crowd.  
  
The official results were then posted on   
the screen.  
  
Mina completed the lap in 1:46.490   
seconds.  
  
Jamie's time was 1:46.488.  
  
Mina looked at Jamie with a shocked   
reaction. Everyone was cheering wildly   
around them.  
  
"What just happened?" asked Jamie.  
  
"What just happened!!!" replied Mina.   
"You won the race! You broke the record   
at the track! I don't know how you did   
it, but you did it! Congratu..."  
  
Mina was trying to hug Jamie to   
congratulate him... but found her hands   
still stuck on the wheel. Jamie, several   
seconds later, found the same thing had   
happened to him.  
  
"And now," said the announcer's voice in   
the game, "for our next race! The race to   
drain all of your energy!"  
  
"Huh? What does that mean?" said Jamie.  
  
Suddenly the screens in front of them   
started to pulse a steady purple.  
  
Jamie and Mina tried to remove their   
grips from their steering wheels, but   
couldn't.  
  
After a few seconds, everyone around them   
started to feel tired and sleepy.  
  
Jamie said, "Hey guys, wake up, I..." until   
he realized he couldn't keep his eyelids   
open.   
  
Soon, everyone was unconscious... including   
Mina, who had slumped her head on the   
wheel.  
  
But Jamie and Andrew still found the   
strength to stay awake... barely.  
  
Jamie thought of transforming then and   
there to try to fight off whoever... or   
whatever... was draining the energy away   
from everyone. But with his hands still   
on the steering wheel, how could he? He   
couldn't reach for his dagger and raise   
it over his head to transform.  
  
So he just tried, with his last ounce of   
strength, to yell out his transformation   
words to see if that would do anything.  
  
"VENUS KNIGHT... power..." he yelled before   
his head snapped back into an unconscious   
state.  
  
Andrew was trying to stay up on his feet...   
and saw something glow in Jamie's front   
pocket. Andrew inched closer to get a   
good look... and saw a stream of bright,   
shining yellow stars begin to flow out of   
the pocket and surround Jamie.  
  
Andrew then gasped at a sight to behold.  
  
He just saw Jamie transform into Venus   
Knight.  
  
"Venus... Knight..." said an exhausted   
Andrew.  
  
Venus Knight could start to feel a   
renewed, rejuvenated energy flow through   
his body. He started to focus all of his   
strength on his hands... putting pressure   
on the steering wheel... until the steering   
wheel crumpled into pieces.  
  
Venus Knight -- hands free -- immediately   
went over to scoop Mina off of the wheel   
and away from the seat.  
  
When that happened, the machine started   
to tremble and shake... then molded and   
morphed itself into a tall, ivory-looking   
male figure with dark pants, a dark suit,   
black hair, dark eyes, and an inverted   
moon symbol on his forehead.  
  
Andrew couldn't believe his eyes... "What   
is this," he said to himself.  
  
"In our next race, wearing a uniform with   
an orange sash, Venus Knight! And then   
there's me, Sporemico, the Champion of   
the Negaverse, who will certainly outrace   
and outlast the man from the second   
planet in the solar system! So start your   
engines, here we go!"  
  
Venus Knight was trying to keep one eye   
on Sporemico, and another eye on a limp   
Mina.  
  
"We'll take care of Mina for you..." said a   
familiar voice... "You've got to win this   
race!"  
  
Venus Knight looked up to see seven   
figures stand at the doorway to the Game   
Center.  
  
"You, Sp.. Spock.. Spom.. Spick and Span,   
or, whatever... we won't let you go around   
and steal the energy from innocent   
bystanders! I am the defender of water   
and the planet Mercury! I AM MERCURY   
KNIGHT! And don't you forget about that!"  
  
"And I am the Sailor-Suited Pretty   
Soldier of Intelligence, SAILOR MERCURY!"  
  
"I am the Sailor-Suited Pretty Soldier of   
Fire, I AM SAILOR MARS!"  
  
"And I be her man, MARS KNIGHT!"  
  
"I represent the forces of thunder and   
lightning! SAILOR JUPITER!"  
  
"So do I! I'm JUPITER KNIGHT!"  
  
"I am Tuxedo Mask, friend of the Sailor   
Scouts!" said Tuxedo Mask, holding out a   
rose.  
  
"I'm the soldier in training... and thanks   
to you, I couldn't finish up my spelling   
homework! I AM SAILOR MINI MOON!"  
  
"You had spelling stuff? Oh... and for Love   
and Justice, I am the Sailor-Suited   
Pretty Soldier, SAILOR MOON! And in the   
name of the moon,"  
  
"WE SHALL PUNISH YOU!" said everyone in   
unison.  
  
"We'll wake up Mina," said Mercury   
Knight, "you take care of Sp.. Spa..   
Spasimodo over there!"  
  
"Right," responded Venus Knight.  
  
Venus Knight then approached Sporemico   
and drew his sword. "All right, I'm gonna   
show you why I'll win this race!"  
  
"We have a challenger!" said Sporemico in   
his funny voice. "Well why don't you go   
right ahead then?"  
  
"Sure! VENUS LOVE BLADE CHARGE!" he   
yelled.  
  
The Love Blade attack went right through   
Sporemico's chest.  
  
"Wha?" said Venus Knight. "That didn't   
touch him."  
  
"MARS FIRE BLADE CHARGE!"  
  
Mars Knight tried his attack, but it,   
too, went through Sporemico's chest.  
  
"You guys have fallen way behind," sad   
Sporemico, who sent a gust of wind from   
his hand, knocking the two knights on the   
floor.  
  
Sailor Moon, Mars and Jupiter, and   
Jupiter Knight, quickly stepped up to   
take their place.  
  
  
Meantime, Sailor Mercury, Mercury Knight,   
Sailor Mini Moon and Tuxedo Mask were   
tending to Mina.  
  
"Wake up, Mina!" yelled Mini Moon.  
  
"It's no use, we're giving her fresh air   
from outside, but it's not helping her at   
all," said Sailor Mercury.  
  
"Is there anything we can do, Greg?"   
asked Tuxedo Mask.  
  
Mercury Knight had a thought, and looked   
over at the soda bar.  
  
"Give me a sec..." said Mercury Knight. He   
ran over to the area behind the bar and   
grabbed a large bowl, a peppershaker, and   
several hot spices. He dumped them all   
into the bowl and mixed them by hand.   
Then he took a whiff... the intensity of   
the smell almost knocked him down.  
  
"I've seen something like this in an   
American movie with Michael J. Fox," said   
Mercury Knight. "Hold your noses, guys!"   
  
Mercury Knight placed the bowl under   
Mina's nose. At the same time, he grabbed   
Mina's transformation stick that was   
protruding out of her pocket and placed   
it in her left hand.  
  
"Mina! We need you!" yelled Mini Moon.  
  
It took a few seconds, but Mina opened   
her eyes in a hurry, clenched her   
transformation stick, and stood up   
straight and tall. The four other members   
of the team smiled.  
  
  
Sailor Moon, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter,   
Mars Knight and Jupiter Knight were   
sprawled out on the floor, trying to get   
up. Sporemico had his arm wrapped around   
Venus Knight in a chokehold.  
  
"And now, Venus Knight, I am about to   
take the checkered flag!" he said.  
  
Sporemico squeezed even harder...  
  
"VENUS LOVE-ME CHAIN!"  
  
Sporemico felt a sharp pain in his arm,   
prompting him to let go of Venus Knight.  
  
Venus Knight staggered his way over to   
Sailor Venus.  
  
"Welcome back!" he said.  
  
"Thank you, thank you," said a proud,   
smiling Sailor Venus. "Let me take the   
checkered flag for you!"  
  
"Hold on a minute, if you fire at his   
chest, your attack will go right through   
and out," said Venus Knight.  
  
"We can take care of that," said Mercury   
Knight. He and Sailor Mercury used their   
super computer visors to detect that   
Sporemico would be weakened by cold.  
  
"MERCURY ICE BLADE CHARGE!"  
"SHABON SPRAY FREEZING!"  
  
Their combined attacks froze Sporemico   
and made him shiver within the ice.   
"STOP! IT'S TOO.. TOO.. C.. C.. COLD!!!"  
  
"Go, Sailor Venus!"  
  
"CRESCENT BEAM!"  
  
The Crescent Beam attack was trapped in   
the ice, and took multiple hits all   
around Sporemico.  
  
Sailor Mini Moon decided to skip her way   
toward Sporemico and hit him with several   
hearts from her moon rod, using the Pink   
Sugar Heart Attack.  
  
Sporemico then broke free from the ice,   
and appeared to grow bigger. Mini Moon   
ran away scared. "Now, come on, don't   
trip me like this! Now I'm gonna have to   
destroy all of you!"  
  
"No... you... won't!" said a voice.  
  
Andrew was struggling up to his feet.   
"You are hurting my friends..."  
  
Mercury Knight looked toward Andrew.   
"Andrew... friends... does.. does he know??"   
he said.  
  
"I'm talking about Sailor Venus and Venus   
Knight, and everyone else," said Andrew.   
"They're my best friends! And I won't let   
you destroy them! TAKE THIS!" he said,   
turning a spinning roundhouse kick,   
hitting Sporemico squarely in the face.  
  
"YAAAH!" was Sporemico's response.  
  
Venus Knight looked in amazement. "I   
don't believe what I just saw," he said.  
  
Tuxedo Mask was helping Sailor Moon back   
to her feet. "Finish him off, Sailor   
Moon!" he said.  
  
Sailor Moon was wobbling back and forth   
in dizziness. "Uh..." said Sailor Moon   
wobbling to one side.  
  
Tuxedo Mask held her steady. "You've got   
to finish him off, Sailor Moon!" he said   
again.   
  
Sailor Moon stood up and said, "Right,   
gotcha!"  
  
Sailor Moon twirled her moon rod and   
yelled "MOON SPIRAL HEART ATTACK!"  
  
Sporemico yelled in agony and burst into   
an opaque, white smoke.  
  
When the smoke cleared, the racing game   
was back in place. It looked shiny and   
brand new, with all of the steering   
wheels and pedals in place.  
  
The members of the sailor team then ran   
toward Andrew. Venus Knight and Sailor   
Venus went up to Andrew to thank him.  
  
"You were awesome!" said Sailor Venus.  
  
"And you think I'M the man??" said Venus   
Knight.  
  
"Wow, I guess I really came in for you   
guys, eh?" said Andrew.  
  
Andrew paused to look around. "Darien,   
you're Tuxedo Mask... Serena's Sailor Moon,   
and Amy and Greg and Raye and... wow, this   
is so awesome! My best friends are the   
sailor soldiers and the knights! But.." he   
said, changing to a serious tone of   
voice, "your secret is safe with me."  
  
"I think we can trust you," replied   
Jupiter Knight.  
  
"Yeah, don't worry about it," said Mars   
Knight.  
  
"We've got a new friend of the sailor   
scouts!" said Mercury Knight.  
  
"I know you will be a very strong and   
very important ally," said Sailor   
Mercury.  
  
"Yeah, a nice guy like you is the perfect   
compliment for us," said Sailor Mars.  
  
"Why don't... hey guys, everyone else is   
starting to wake up, you'd better get out   
of those clothes!" said Andrew.  
  
The scouts and knights de-transformed as   
everyone else in the Game Center came to.  
  
Andrew said to the de-transformed scouts,   
"Let's celebrate with snacks here, on   
me!"  
  
"ALL RIGHT!" said Lita. "I'm hungry!"  
  
"YUMMY, YUMMY!" said Rini. "One chocolate   
shake for me!"  
  
"TEN FOR ME!" responded Serena.  
  
Everyone fell over in disbelief with   
sweatdrops on their heads after hearing   
this comment. Except for Andrew and Greg...   
  
Andrew went over to prepare the snacks...   
and Greg, well... he just reminded himself,   
this happens ALL the time.  
  
*****************************  
End of Chapter 16  
  
Join us next time for the seventeenth  
chapter (wow! moving right along!)  
of The Saga of Mercury. 


	17. Contest Time

DISCLAIMER  
  
As usual, "Sailor Moon" and all related characters  
are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, TOEI  
Animation and other agencies.  
  
The Saga of Mercury story is copyrighted by me, however  
content in some chapters is based on the Mercury  
Knight Stories as described in the Chapter 1 Introduction.  
  
  
******  
You can view released chapters in PDF format by visiting  
the official web site of this fanfic, at:  
http://members.aol.com/jrhorse98/sagaofmercury/index.html  
  
You can also view these chapters at:  
http://www.fanfiction.net  
http://www.moonromance.net  
http://www.mediaminer.org/fanfic  
http://www.fandomination.net  
http://www.efanfiction.net  
  
Chapters are also posted weekly at the Sailor Moon newsgroup:  
news:alt.fan.sailor-moon  
******  
  
  
WARNING! DUE TO A GRAPHIC SCENE AND SOME SMALL INNUENDO,   
THE PG-13 RATING OF THIS STORY IS STRICTLY ENFORCED   
IN THIS CHAPTER.  
  
THIS SECTION OF THE STORY IS RECOMMENDED FOR READERS   
OVER THE AGE OF 13.  
  
BY CONTINUING TO READ, YOU AGREE THAT THE AUTHOR SHALL NOT BE  
HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ACTIONS OR CONSEQUENCES ON YOUR BEHALF  
AS A RESULT OF READING THIS SECTION.  
  
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!  
  
  
  
The Saga of Mercury  
Chapter 17   
Contest Time  
  
  
"CHECKMATE!" yelled Amy.  
  
Greg's mouth gaped open. Amy had just   
beaten him in a round of chess.  
  
"I don't.. get it.." said a puzzled Greg.   
"Where did I go wrong?"  
  
"Perhaps..." Amy started.  
  
"Ahhh," said Greg, "I think I remember   
what it was."  
  
Yep, he said to himself. A few moves ago,   
I was in a limbo, and I was trying to   
find the right move. I knew I should have   
moved the pawn, but I was scrambling.. I   
was looking all around.. and I.. looked at   
Amy's.. Amy's.. uh.. er.. um.. and I..   
captured her bishop... which was then   
captured by her queen... and...   
  
"Oh good grief," said Greg out loud, "I   
knew I shouldn't have done that."  
  
"Shouldn't have done what?" asked Amy.  
  
"Uhh... n-nothing, Ames, don't worry about   
it," said Greg rapidly, "it was a minor   
mistake on my part, I was..."  
  
The doorbell of the Urawa residence   
interrupted Greg's voice.  
  
"I'll get it," said Greg, jumping up and   
sprinting toward the door.  
  
Wow, Amy thought to herself, putting that   
thoughtful look on her face. How did Greg   
goof up on that bishop?  
  
Wow, Greg thought to himself. Saved by   
the bell... literally...  
  
Greg looked through the door-hole...  
  
It was Chad.  
  
Greg swung the door open and greeted him.  
  
Chad was wearing a light green headband,   
a red jacket, red sweatpants and white   
sneakers. His head was perspiring, and he   
was running in place, breathing heavily,   
when he spoke to Greg.  
  
"What's up, Greg?"  
  
"What's up with you?"  
  
"Ah, nothing, Raye and I decided to do   
some running around your neighborhood...   
you know, work out and stuff... and I   
thought I'd stop by briefly to tell you   
something. This is something that you and   
Amy might be interested in, so you might   
want to tell her the next time you see   
her."  
  
"Hey, hang on a sec, Amy's here..." said   
Greg, who called Amy to the front door.  
  
"Oh, hi, Chad!" said Amy. "Working out?"  
  
"Yep, I've gotta impress Raye, and I   
think Raye wants to impress me..." Chad   
said with a smile. "Anyway, there's a   
huge IQ contest going on -- there's a   
contest to find the smartest young people   
in the country. I'm obviously not that   
smart, I mean... I don't know the   
difference between a van and a gas tank...   
but I thought I'd let you know about it.   
They're talking all about it in the   
papers..."  
  
Chad was interrupted by a familiar voice,   
who was yelling at him from a short   
distance.  
  
"Come on, Chad!" said Raye, 50 yards down   
the block, her long, black hair tied in a   
ponytail for the exercise. "We gotta keep   
on running so we don't miss the train!   
Hurry!"  
  
"I'm outta here, guys, cya!" Chad said   
before turning around and running toward   
Raye.  
  
"Bye, Chad!" said Greg.  
  
Greg and Amy waved at Chad, and at Raye,   
as they ran down the block and around the   
corner until they were out of sight.  
  
"I wonder what gets into those two,   
running around here," said Amy.  
  
"My house is beautiful, that's why!" said   
a smiling Greg.  
  
"OH, STOP," said Amy. "Anyway, do you   
still have today's newspaper?"  
  
"Uh... yes I think so... let me go to the   
living room to check."  
  
Greg went to the living room while Amy   
went back to the den.  
  
Greg returned to the den with the   
Prefecture's newspaper, and flipped   
through the pages until he saw the   
advertisement for the contest.  
  
"IQ contest to highlight competition   
discovering the hidden talents in young   
Japanese people," Amy read out loud as   
she looked at the ad. "Different contests   
will be held in singing, IQ, dance... hey,   
Greg, it's not just IQ contests, it's a   
lot of other contests, too."  
  
"Hey, not bad!" replied Greg.  
  
Amy continued: "Contests to be held in   
three days at the Fukuoka Center... top   
prize in each category is 125,000 yen!"  
  
Greg then snapped, "Well let me test my   
IQ now... that would be... about a thousand   
American dollars, eh?"  
  
"You're right," responded Amy. "Say,   
that's a good thing for the two of us to   
try, don't you think?"  
  
"Well, sure!" said Greg. "There's also... a   
singing contest, which Raye would be   
interested in, and a dance contest... do we   
know anyone who dances?"  
  
"Mina is an excellent ballerina," said   
Amy.  
  
"OK," said Greg, "There is no school on   
the day of the contest, and the two of us   
seem to be all right with this -- so when   
we see the others tomorrow, we'll bring   
this up."  
  
  
Meanwhile, back in the Negaverse...  
  
Sorinya had the same newspaper that Greg   
was reading, and browsed over the   
advertisement.  
  
"So," said Sorinya, "there's a contest   
with many people of different talents   
competing... what a perfect opportunity to   
collect energy in my quest to get rid of   
Amy Mizuno!"  
  
Sorinya snapped her fingers. A puff of   
green smoke appeared in front of Sorinya,   
revealing a large purple and orange   
mechanical figure that could easily be   
confused for one of those Transformers   
figures. On the figure's steel-plated   
chest was a black, inverted Negamoon   
symbol.  
  
"COMSTRON.. CHAMPION OF NEGAVERSE.. AT YOUR   
SERVICE.. SORINYA.." the machine said in a   
deep, low, robotic-toned voice.  
  
"Comstron," said Sorinya, "I have a bone   
to pick with the people coming together   
for that gifted competition three days   
from now. Their talents use precious   
energy, which we can harvest for our own   
purposes. See what you can do about   
that."  
  
"AS YOU WISH.." replied Comstron. "I WILL..   
I WILL.. I WILL.."  
  
Sorinya banged hard against Comstron's   
side. "Oh, stop acting up, you bucket of   
bolts! Do not disappoint me!"  
  
"I WILL SCOUT THE AREA OF THE   
COMPETITION..." said Comstron, disappearing   
in another puff of green smoke.  
  
  
That evening, the clan of scouts and   
knights met in benches on a main street   
in the busy and active Roppongi area.  
  
"There's no question about it," said   
Darien, pointing to Amy and Greg. "If   
there's going to be a tie in that IQ   
contest, it'll be you two."  
  
"Darien, are you sure about that?" asked   
Greg.  
  
"Is he SURE about that?" said Serena. "If   
my Darien says he's sure about it, then   
it's gonna happen!" she said, resting her   
hands on Darien's left shoulder and   
staring intensely at him.  
  
"Yeah!" responded Rini, who placed her   
hands on Darien's other shoulder and   
brought that shoulder down to her level.  
  
Jamie, seeing Darien in this awkward,   
slanted position, said, "Here we go   
again.."  
  
"Ah... Anyway," said Greg, "Not only is   
there an IQ contest, there's also a   
singing contest and a dance contest."  
  
"Dance contest?" said Jamie. "Well,   
there's only one good dancer around here,   
and I'm looking at her."  
  
Mina was shivering a bit when hearing   
Jamie's words.  
  
"What's the matter?" asked Lita.  
  
"I... I haven't been dancing in a while.. I   
don't think I'll be as good as I used to   
be..." said Mina.  
  
"You don't think so?" said Ken. "Hey,   
listen, Lita has shown me photos of you   
from a few years ago, shortly after you   
revealed yourself as Venus to the other   
four scouts." Ken chuckled. "You were   
Clare in the Nutcracker, for crying out   
loud! Only the best ballerinas can play   
Clare."  
  
"It's just like I've told Ken," said   
Lita, "If you put your mind to it, you   
can accomplish anything. Take an hour or   
two after studying tomorrow to practice...   
then if you feel like you can do it, go   
to the competition's web site and sign   
yourself in!"  
  
"I've seen their web site," said Amy,   
"and you can register up to the hour   
before the contest starts!"  
  
Mina thought for a moment, then lifted   
her head high and said, "Yeah, why not!   
I'm beautiful AND I'm talented! Ha-ha!"  
  
Everyone had sweatdrops on their heads   
upon hearing this comment, except for   
Jamie, who smiled, put his arm around his   
princess, and said, "That's my Mina!"  
  
"Y..yeah... all right, then," said Greg.  
  
Greg looked up to the sky, and said...   
"There's also a singing contest there,   
and... wow..."  
  
Greg turned to the young woman with long,   
black hair. "Boy, it's a starry night   
tonight, isn't it, RAYE?"  
  
"Uh... sure it is... OH. I get it," Raye   
said, smiling, "you think I can sing 'Oh   
Starry Night' at the competition? I don't   
know..."  
  
"Let's face it, Raye," said Greg, "Oh   
Starry Night, according to what Amy and   
the other girls have told me, is the most   
popular song that you've written and   
sung... and think about it... all you have to   
do is sing. There's no preparing the   
cameras or the lights or anything, and..."  
  
"AND," interrupted Chad, "I haven't heard   
you sing that song. All I've heard is   
some humming in the temple, and that's   
basically it. Come on Raye... make me proud   
for a change."  
  
Raye smiled. "Oh, all right. I'll do it   
just for you, Chad."  
  
Chad responded, "All right! Hey, is this   
wicked cool or what?"  
  
Greg stared at Chad, then said to   
everyone else, "So it's in three days,   
and we don't have any school or college   
or anything, so if the four of us decide   
to enter, I'd like to know if the rest of   
you can come on over to cheer us on."  
  
"That's cool with me!" said Chad.  
  
"Four friends to cheer on? That's   
quadruple the fun!" said Lita.  
  
"I'm with Lita," said Ken.  
  
"If it's all right with Darien, it's all   
right with me!" said Serena AND Rini,   
simultaneously.  
  
Darien, shoulders awkward for minutes,   
nodded his head in agreement, a sweatdrop   
on his head.  
  
  
"SO!" said Sorinya in the Negaverse.   
"Four of the scouts, including that brat   
Amy, are going to participate in this   
competition! I'll make sure right now   
that they don't participate!"  
  
  
  
As Greg finished talking, someone from   
across the street yelled, "AAH!! IT'S A   
MONSTER!"  
  
Greg turned his head to the man who   
screamed. "Monster?" he said.  
  
Greg and the others soon found everyone   
in the busy area running for their lives.  
  
The group looked down the street to see a   
large orange and purple figure walking   
their way.  
  
"COMSTRON... COMSTRON" the figure said,   
pointing his hand and aiming his laser   
beam to collect any energy that was in   
his path. Some people were caught by this   
beam, and slumped to the ground, out   
cold, when the laser hit them, their   
energy gone. The laser beam even hit some   
trees as well... the leaves withered and   
fell to the ground when the energy from   
the trees were zapped out.  
  
"COMSTRON... ENERGY!" the figure roared.  
  
The group of scouts and knights took a   
step back... but to no avail. Soon Amy and   
Greg were caught with the large figure's   
laser beam.  
  
Amy landed unconscious on the floor,   
while Greg fell and landed on his hands,   
head shaking, struggling to stay awake.  
  
"AMY!" yelled Rini.  
  
"GREG!" yelled Chad.  
  
"Guys," said Jamie, "I think it's about   
time we do something about this!"  
  
"Let's go!" said Darien.  
  
Darien held out his rose, while everyone   
else who was still alert took out his or   
her respective transformation pieces:   
Serena and Rini, their brooches; Raye,   
Lita and Mina, their pens; and Chad, Ken   
and Jamie, their daggers.  
  
"MARS STAR POWER!"  
"MARS KNIGHT POWER!"  
"JUPITER STAR POWER!"  
"JUPITER KNIGHT POWER!"  
"VENUS STAR POWER!"  
"VENUS KNIGHT POWER!"  
"MOON PRISM POWER!"  
"MOON COSMIC POWER!"  
  
  
Darien threw his rose into the air, and   
caught it two seconds later -- having   
transformed into Tuxedo Mask.  
  
"Stop right there!" yelled a familiar-  
looking meatball head. "You have no right   
to steal the energy from innocent people   
on the streets. Give it back, or you're   
gonna pay! I am the pretty-suited sailor   
soldier of love and justice, SAILOR   
MOON!"  
  
"I am the soldier of fire... I'm SAILOR   
MARS!"  
  
"I am the soldier of thunder and   
lightning, I'm SAILOR JUPITER!"  
  
"I am the soldier of love and beauty, I'm   
SAILOR VENUS, and I think you look   
horrible!"  
  
"WE ARE THE KNIGHTS," said Mars Knight,   
Jupiter Knight and Venus Knight,   
"DEFENDERS OF THE INNER PLANETS!"  
  
"My name is TUXEDO MASK, and I'll do   
whatever it takes for you to spit out   
that energy!"  
  
"Why am I always last? Oh well. I am the   
sailor soldier in training, SAILOR MINI   
MOON!"  
  
"And we shall punish you," said Sailor   
Moon, "in the name of the Moon!"  
  
"ME... COMSTRON.. SAILOR.. MOON.. DESTROY!"   
said the robotic voice from the machine   
that was getting closer and closer to the   
throng of heroes.  
  
"I'll go first," said Sailor Venus to the   
others. "If there's one thing I hate,   
it's an evil machine -- especially an ugly   
one!"  
  
Sailor Venus ran up to Comstron and   
delivered her hardest right hook on its   
chest.  
  
But the sound of her fist hitting   
Comstron's chest was like a hammer   
striking an anvil.  
  
Sailor Venus let out the loudest scream   
as she fell to the ground, her left hand   
tightly grasping her right one. Her eyes   
were watery and her teeth were clenched   
from the tremendous amount of pain that   
she felt.  
  
"MINA!" yelled Venus Knight as he ran   
toward her.  
  
Comstron continued on his way toward the   
others, seemingly forgetting that Sailor   
Venus was even there. The machine didn't   
even react when Venus Knight went right   
past to tend to Sailor Venus.  
  
Tuxedo Mask threw a rose at Comstron... but   
the rose fell to the ground following its   
impact on Comstron's chest.  
  
"Why don't you an I try to short this one   
out," said Jupiter Knight to Sailor   
Jupiter.  
  
"Worth a try. SUPREME THUNDER!"  
"JUPITER THUNDER BLADE CHARGE!"  
  
Bolts of thunder shot straight at   
Comstron. Comstron stood still, shook a   
bit, and then said...  
  
"TIME TO DESTROY.. TIME TO DESTROY.. TIME   
TO.. TIME.. TIME.. TIME.. TIME.. TIME.."  
  
Sailor Moon looked at Tuxedo Mask as   
Comstron repeated the word "Time."  
  
Meanwhile, Venus Knight was kneeling on   
the ground, holding his princess in his   
arms. He removed Sailor Venus' right   
glove, and saw that the fingers on her   
hand were bent in awkward directions,   
blood oozing out.  
  
Sailor Venus was crying in pain, her   
tears soaking right into the uniform of   
Venus Knight.  
  
Venus Knight did his best to console her.   
"Come on... come on... hang in there... we'll   
take care of it..."  
  
"LEAVE IT ALONE... PLEASE..." she said   
through the tears.  
  
On the other end of the spectrum, Greg   
was able to sit up despite the tremendous   
energy attack. He was very weak, but was   
able to slide his way toward Amy and hold   
her. Amy was slowly waking up.  
  
"W.. wh.. wha.." were the voices coming out   
of Amy's mouth.  
  
"Ssh.." said Greg quietly. "Save your   
strength..."  
  
Sailor Moon, in the meantime, was stunned   
when she saw that her Spiral Heart Attack   
had failed. Comstron was still there,   
repeating the word "Time." His words were   
starting to disorientate everyone.   
  
"FIRE SOUL!" yelled Sailor Mars.  
  
The ball of fire sent from Sailor Mars   
struck Comstron's chest. The impact was   
so strong that his chest began to melt.  
  
"That's for starters," said Sailor Mars.  
  
"Now what?" said Mars Knight.  
  
"The Super Attack!" yelled Mini Moon.  
  
"Super attack?" asked Sailor Moon.  
  
"She must mean the attack from the four   
knights," said Tuxedo Mask.  
  
"Right!" yelled Jupiter Knight. "But...   
wait a minute... there are only two of us!"  
  
"Yeah," said Mars Knight, "Venus is over   
with Mina, and Mercury... well he hasn't   
transformed yet... he's with Amy."  
  
"We'd better get the others over here,"   
said Tuxedo Mask, "and fast. Comstron   
might build up strength again."  
  
"Right!" said the others in unison.  
  
Sailor Moon, Sailor Mars and Mars Knight   
ran over to Sailor Venus and Venus   
Knight.  
  
Sailor Moon gasped in shock when she saw   
what had happened to Sailor Venus' hand.  
  
"Whoa..." said Mars Knight.  
  
"Venus Knight, you have to get with the   
other knights to do the super attack on   
the monster," said Sailor Mars.  
  
"Wha..." said Venus Knight, looking at   
Sailor Venus, "I don't want to leave   
her!"  
  
Sailor Venus, still in pain, was able to   
utter to her knight, "I'll... be... just   
fine..."  
  
Venus Knight looked up to the others.   
"... promise you'll take care of Mina then?"  
  
"You have our word," said Sailor Mars.  
  
Venus Knight nodded, and lightly kissed   
Sailor Venus' cheek. "I'll be back in a   
minute," he said, as he joined Mars   
Knight and ran back.  
  
Meanwhile, Tuxedo Mask, Sailor Mini Moon,   
Sailor Jupiter and Jupiter Knight were   
tending to Amy and Greg.  
  
"Greg," said Tuxedo Mask, you need to get   
with the other knights for the super   
attack."  
  
Greg was still shaking somewhat, but held   
Amy tighter when he heard this.  
  
"No..." said Greg. "I... I won't leave her."  
  
"You have to leave her," said Jupiter   
Knight. "Without you, the super attack   
doesn't mean squat. The other three will   
keep an eye on her, don't worry."  
  
Greg didn't want to leave Amy... he wanted   
to get rid of the monster and save the   
lives of the other citizens whose energy   
was zapped... but Amy was too important.  
  
"Don't worry about me," said a soft   
voice.  
  
Greg looked down at Amy, who reached up   
to kiss him. "You be strong, okay?" she   
asked.  
  
"All right," said Greg. "You too."  
  
Greg gave Amy over to Tuxedo Mask and   
Sailor Jupiter, then stood up. He wobbled   
a bit to the side, then straightened   
himself, winked and smiled to Sailor Mini   
Moon, and pulled out his dagger. He got   
one last look at Amy before saying   
"MERCURY KNIGHT POWER!"  
  
Mercury Knight and Jupiter Knight ran   
over to the spot where Mars Knight and   
Venus Knight were.  
  
"Gentlemen," said a rejuvenated Mercury   
Knight, "we have a task at hand."  
  
"Let's finish this guy off... or machine...   
or whatever," responded Mars Knight.  
  
The knights could see that Comstron's   
chest was starting to gain strength   
again, so they quickly drew their swords   
and moved into position.  
  
"MERCURY ICE BLADE!"  
"MARS FIRE BLADE!"  
"JUPITER THUNDER BLADE!"  
"VENUS LOVE BLADE!"  
  
With swords in position, Mercury Knight   
was about to yell 'Super Attack', when...  
  
"SHABON SPRAY FREEZING!"  
  
Mercury Knight looked and saw Comstron   
get blanketed in a thick sheet of ice.  
  
The knights turned their head... to see   
Sailor Mercury.  
  
Mercury Knight opened his eyes wide.   
"YOU!" he said.  
  
"That should help," said Sailor Mercury   
with a smile.  
  
"Hey, I don't know," said Mars Knight.   
"He's bounced back everything we've   
thrown at him."  
  
"Yes..." said Mercury Knight. "But..."  
  
Comstron was beginning to crack through   
the ice.  
  
"Come on Mercury!" yelled Venus Knight.   
"Are you gonna yell 'Super Attack' or   
what?"  
  
"Wait up," said Mercury Knight, who was   
beginning to smile. "I think I'll wait   
until just the right moment..."  
  
Mercury Knight then winked at Sailor   
Mercury, who winked back.  
  
Indeed, Sailor Mercury and Mercury Knight   
knew what was going to happen, as they   
saw Comstron begin to stiffen up and turn   
a reddish-brown color.  
  
"Gentlemen, did they ever teach you in   
chemistry class what happens when water   
touches steel?" said Mercury Knight.  
  
"RUST!" yelled Jupiter Knight.  
  
"Well whaddya know?" said Mars Knight.   
"He's turning into a rusted bucket of   
bolts!"  
  
"All right!" said Venus Knight. "Greg,   
just let us know when..."  
  
"NOW!" said Mercury Knight. "SUPER   
ATTACK!"  
  
The knights saw their swords begin to   
glow in reaction to Mercury Knight's   
words.  
  
"Ready... set... GO!" yelled Mercury Knight.  
  
Which prompted all of the knights to yell   
in unison, "CHARGE!"  
  
The rays of rainbow lights left their   
origin and shot rapidly at their   
destination... Comstron's chest.  
  
There was nothing the machine could   
really do now, with his entire exterior   
all rusted up.  
  
The intense force of the super attack   
broke through the ice, hit Comstron's   
chest, and vaporized him into exploding   
green smoke.  
  
The knights cheered, and withdrew their   
swords.  
  
Sailor Mercury ran to the knights. "See?   
I told you I would be fine!"  
  
"Yeah, 'be strong', that's all that we   
needed," said Mercury Knight.  
  
Then Venus Knight suddenly realized...  
  
"MINA!"  
  
Venus Knight almost forgot that his   
princess had been injured in the attack.  
  
Venus Knight began to run where Sailor   
Venus last was... but stopped after a few   
steps, when he saw something amazing   
twirl toward him.  
  
He saw a joyful-looking Sailor Venus do   
pirouettes on the tips of her orange   
shoes, smiling and twirling her arms and   
hands as she spun her way toward him.  
  
Behind Sailor Venus was Sailor Moon, with   
her moon rod, and Sailor Mars.  
  
Sailor Venus stopped in front of her   
knight and gave him three kisses on the   
cheek.  
  
"MWA! MWA! MWA! I'm much better!" she   
said, showing Venus Knight her injured   
hand... that was now much better. She   
flexed and bended her fingers around with   
much dexterity and ease. "Thanks to   
Sailor Moon's spiral healing!"  
  
After everyone found themselves to be all   
right, they de-transformed and   
immediately went their separate ways.   
After all, time was ticking, and four of   
them would have to put their skills to   
their test in only three days. 


	18. Say Hello to Sasha

CHAPTER 19 RELEASE SCHEDULE  
  
Welcome to Chapter 18 of The Saga of Mercury.  
Here is some information regarding the release schedule  
for Chapter 19.  
  
Chapter 19 will be released on December 25, 2002  
exclusively in PDF format at the official home page   
of this fanfic story:  
http://members.aol.com/jrhorse98/sagaofmercury  
and in text format at the Sailor Moon newsgroup  
news:alt.fan.sailor-moon  
  
Chapter 19 will be released no earlier than  
December 29, 2002 at this and other fan fiction  
library web sites.  
  
  
DISCLAIMER  
  
As usual, "Sailor Moon" and all related characters  
are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, TOEI  
Animation and other agencies.  
  
The Saga of Mercury story is copyrighted by me, however  
content in some chapters is based on the Mercury  
Knight Stories as described in the Chapter 1 Introduction.  
  
******  
You can view released chapters in PDF format by visiting  
the official web site of this fanfic, at:  
http://members.aol.com/jrhorse98/sagaofmercury/index.html  
  
You can also view these chapters at:  
http://www.fanfiction.net  
http://www.moonromance.net  
http://www.mediaminer.org/fanfic  
http://www.fandomination.net  
http://www.efanfiction.net  
  
Chapters are also posted weekly at the Sailor Moon newsgroup:  
news:alt.fan.sailor-moon  
******  
  
WARNING! DUE TO AN INTENSE ACTION SCENE, THE PG-13 RATING   
OF THIS STORY IS STRICTLY ENFORCED IN THIS CHAPTER.  
  
THIS SECTION OF THE STORY IS RECOMMENDED FOR READERS   
OVER THE AGE OF 13.  
  
BY CONTINUING TO READ, YOU AGREE THAT THE AUTHOR SHALL NOT BE  
HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ACTIONS OR CONSEQUENCES ON YOUR BEHALF  
AS A RESULT OF READING THIS SECTION.  
  
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!  
  
  
  
The Saga of Mercury  
Chapter 18  
Say Hello to Sasha  
  
The city of Fukuoka was getting ready for   
the special competition of young scholars   
and talents to begin.  
  
Colorful banners were spread out across   
the city to announce the event, along   
with posters of some of the main   
contenders.  
  
The posters had pictures of contestants   
that were considered top contenders.  
  
Four of those pictures were of particular   
interest to one woman. This woman was   
wearing a straw hat, sunglasses, a red   
blouse, jet-black pants and black   
sneakers, and had her long, red hair tied   
into two long ponytails. Her face was   
stern as she read the poster and looked   
at the four faces.  
  
Her straight-lined mouth curved upward   
slightly when she realized who the four   
contestants were.  
  
  
Meanwhile, the crew of sailor scouts and   
knights, doffed in formal wear, made   
their way off of the overnight train from   
Tokyo. In the short distance, they could   
see a bus that had been chartered for   
them by the organizing committee, and by   
the hotel that they were staying at.  
  
They got off of the train in this order:   
Amy, Greg, Mina, Jamie, Darien, Serena,   
Rini, Ken, Lita, Raye, and...  
  
And.....  
  
Raye stepped back into the train to tug   
Chad out by his ear. Chad, who was   
carrying heavy luggage, complained to   
Raye about being tired after the red-eye   
trip. "Come on, Chad," she responded, "if   
you're too slow like this, we're gonna   
miss the bus!"  
  
Chad, with a sweatdrop, grudgingly exited   
the train, bothered by the pain in his   
right ear as Raye pulled him forward.  
  
The others didn't seem to notice as they   
made their way toward the bus.  
  
Everyone was carrying something. The guys   
were carrying luggage for themselves and   
their respective princess, while Rini   
insisted on carrying her own luggage. It   
was heavy, but she managed. The other   
ladies either carried a purse or a   
backpack, and of course, Amy had her book   
of poems to keep her busy.  
  
Trailing Raye and Chad was a train   
conductor, who followed the group to the   
bus while carrying two cages... one each   
for Luna and Artemis.  
  
"What a horrible way to travel,"   
complained Artemis to Luna.  
  
At that, the conductor stopped walking   
and looked around him. "Who said that?"   
he blared.  
  
Chad, his ear now free from Raye's   
clutches, turned around. "Who said what?"  
  
"Who said, 'what a horrible way to   
travel'"?  
  
Chad knew that the cats had said that,   
but had to improvise. "Dude, you're just   
dreaming."  
  
The conductor thought to himself, then   
frowned and said, "Yeah, you're probably   
right. I'm too old.. I'm.. starting to hear   
things."  
  
Several yards away from the bus, Rini   
gave a stare to Serena. A second later,   
Serena gave a stare back to Rini.  
  
And then.... THEY WERE OFF!  
  
Rini blasted her way past Jamie, Mina,   
Greg and Amy, running towards the bus.  
  
Serena quickly followed after her,   
knocking Jamie to the ground in the   
process.  
  
"OW!" was the sound Jamie made upon   
hitting the floor. "HEY!"  
  
The rest of the group stopped and groaned   
as Serena and Rini ran forward, in an   
impromptu contest to see who would be   
first to get on the bus.  
  
The bus driver looked back and saw his   
party.. with two girls running forward. He   
had an intuitive thought... and as Serena   
and Rini made their way to the front   
door, opened the rear door, to allow the   
other nine to sneak their way in.  
  
Meanwhile, Serena and Rini were still   
pushing and shoving each other at the   
front door entrance.  
  
"ME FIRST!" yelled Serena.  
  
"NO, ME!" countered Rini.  
  
"ME!"  
  
"ME!"  
  
Finally, the front door to the bus   
opened... to reveal Amy, who was already   
inside.  
  
"No," said a firm Amy, "you two LAST."  
  
Serena and Rini's eyes shrinked to dots,   
and huge sweatdrops covered their heads   
after hearing Amy's stern words.  
  
  
The bus left, taking the eleven (plus two   
cats) to the Peak Hotel, where they would   
stay for two nights in separate rooms   
during the competition.  
  
As the first day was coming to a close,   
Amy was in the room that Greg and Jamie   
were staying in. Jamie quizzed Amy and   
Greg through the night for the next day's   
IQ competition, using flash cards that he   
had been provided.  
  
"Well," said Jamie, "I'd say you two guys   
are set."  
  
"Thanks for helping us out tonight,   
Jamie," said Greg.  
  
"Yes," said Amy, "we really appreciate   
it."  
  
At that moment, a sliding noise could be   
heard at the door.  
  
The three turned their heads to the door,   
and Jamie said, "Someone's trying to get   
in here."  
  
Greg replied, "With a card, I guess."   
Instantly alert, he stood up and said,   
"You two guys stay here, I'll see who it   
is."  
  
As Greg was walking to the door, the   
sliding noise could be heard again.  
  
"Maybe it's Mina returning from her final   
dance run-through," said Amy.  
  
"Well, uh, no," said Jamie, "because she   
said she would call me up when she was   
finished, not come here."  
  
Greg cautiously looked through the   
peephole.  
  
He didn't see anything.  
  
That was, until he looked down.  
  
Through the hole, he could see a young   
girl with a pretty orange and blue dress,   
white socks, shiny blue-laced shoes, and   
a blue beret on her head, which   
completely covered her hair. She was   
pulling a mini-luggage cart.  
  
Greg laughed and turned back to Jamie and   
Amy.  
  
"It's only a girl!" he said.  
  
The two walked up to join Greg.  
  
"Maybe she's lost?" Jamie suggested.  
  
"Well," said Greg, "we'll soon find out..."  
  
With that, Greg unlocked the deadbolts   
and opened the door.  
  
"Hi!" said Greg with a smile. "Can I help   
you?"  
  
The young girl's face was frozen cold,   
her large, blue eyes staring at Greg for   
a brief moment... then the girl bowed,   
smiled a cheerful smile and said: "Good   
evening! My name is Sasha and I was   
hoping to find my hotel room on this   
floor. Is this my hotel room?"  
  
"Well, Sasha, what room number are you   
looking for?" asked Greg.  
  
Sasha immediately pulled out her hotel   
guest card. "Room 304."  
  
"Ah..." said Greg, turning to Amy and   
Jamie. "This is 304, isn't it?"  
  
Jamie then asked Sasha, "What tower? Does   
it say anything about a tower?"  
  
Sasha looked at her card. "Ummmmmm... Oh,   
I'm sorry, Tower A."  
  
"Mm-hmm, yes," said Greg, "I'm sorry   
Sasha, but this is Tower C. You want   
Tower A, which is at the other end of the   
hotel."  
  
"Oh, thank you very much for telling me!"   
said a smiling Sasha.  
  
Amy then stepped forward, "Hey, your room   
is only two rooms away from where I'm   
staying in! I'm in Tower A, room 302! I'm   
on my way there right now, perhaps we can   
walk there together? After all, we don't   
want you to walk by yourself all alone in   
this large hotel."  
  
"Well," said Sasha, "I thought I could   
walk around on my own without any help...   
SURE! Thank you very much indeed!"  
  
"Sasha, my name is Greg," said Greg, who   
extended his hand. Sasha shook his hand,   
and both of them bowed.  
  
Greg continued, "And this is my friend   
and roommate, Jamie... and this is my   
girlfriend, Amy. Amy will take you over   
to your room."  
  
"Ready, Sasha?" asked Amy.  
  
"Ready, Amy!" said Sasha in reply.  
  
"All right then!"  
  
Amy turned to kiss Greg on the cheek.   
"Sweet dreams," she whispered into his   
ear. "See you tomorrow."  
  
"Ok, you too," said Greg softly.  
  
"Good night, Jamie!"  
  
"Good night, Ames. Good luck!"  
  
"Thanks!"  
  
Amy walked out the door, then joined   
Sasha, as the two of them made their way   
to Tower A.  
  
Greg could hear Amy ask Sasha, "What are   
you doing around here all by yourself..."   
before he closed the door.  
  
"She's a very nice kid!" said Jamie.  
  
"Yeah," replied Greg, who was silent for   
a moment. "Anyway, let's get ready to hit   
the sack."  
  
"Yep," said Jamie, "you and Amy have a   
big day tomorrow!"  
  
"Don't forget Mina and Raye, too."  
  
"Of course! How could I forget? Well,   
I'll be cheering all of you guys on!"  
  
  
The next day brought sunshine and a happy   
atmosphere... on the outside, throughout   
the city, and on the inside, at the   
Fukuoka Center, where the pre-competition   
registration was now taking place.  
  
Amy, Greg, Raye and Mina were by   
themselves, separated from the others,   
who were trying to find good seats in the   
arena. (Of course, Rini was trying to   
beat out everybody, and Serena was   
following suit.)  
  
Mina was wearing a yellow shirt and blue   
jeans, carrying a red shoulder bag with   
everything that she needed for her dance   
recital.  
  
Raye was already in the red dress that   
she wore a while ago, when she performed   
several songs for a large audience,   
including "Oh Starry Night", which she   
had planned to sing today. She was busy   
looking over the song sheet that she had   
written... it had been some time since she   
last sung that song, and she wanted to   
make sure that everything was perfect.  
  
Amy was wearing a blue dress, and Greg   
was wearing dress pants, a white dress   
shirt and a black tie.  
  
The four of them signed in, and then   
proceeded to a waiting area, awaiting the   
schedule for the day.  
  
"Nervous, ladies?" asked Greg.  
  
"No," said Amy.  
  
"I'm confident," said Mina.  
  
"WHY CAN'T I REMEMBER THIS PART?" said   
Raye.  
  
"Oh, Raye, don't be in such a hurry,"   
said Greg. "Take nice, deep breaths, and   
take your time. You can do it."  
  
"Yeah but still..."  
  
"Raye," said Amy, "you don't need to   
worry about losing your sheet music like   
you did last time."  
  
Raye thought for a moment, then looked at   
her sheet music, went over the words   
rapidly in her head, and managed to smile   
at the end. "I'll be just fine."  
  
Amy looked around to see how many people   
had gathered. There were many young   
people of different ages that were   
participating... all dressed up nicely for   
the occasion. Most of the younger ones   
were enrolled in the IQ contest for their   
respective age group.  
  
Amy then turned her attention to the far   
corner of the waiting room... and saw   
someone.  
  
Amy tapped Greg's shoulder, and pointed   
in the direction of that corner.  
  
Sitting on a chair, isolated from   
everyone else, was...  
  
"Sasha! Greg... that's Sasha!"  
  
Greg focused in on the young girl sitting   
on the chair.  
  
"Why, yes, that IS Sasha!"  
  
"Sasha?" said Raye.  
  
"Oh, Is she the young girl that Jamie   
talked to me about, that was lost   
yesterday in the hotel?"  
  
"That's her," said Greg. "I wonder what   
she's doing here."  
  
"She's in the IQ competition for young   
children," said Amy.  
  
"How do you know that?" asked Greg.  
  
"We had a nice conversation as we were   
walking from your room to Tower A last   
night. She told me that she currently   
lives in a very small orphanage in   
Nagatacho, but she's well known there,   
and her manners are so proper, that they   
let her walk out in the open sometimes...   
even long distances, like here, for this   
contest. Of course, she has to call them   
twice a day to let them know how she is..."  
  
"Gosh, how interesting," said Raye.  
  
"Poor thing," said Mina. "I wonder where   
her parents have been all this time."  
  
Amy continued, "She was told that her   
parents had abandoned her when she was   
three years old, and left her at that   
orphanage. A small note was left with   
her, along with a small, gold heart   
necklace that she wears to this day. That   
note apparently said that one day, her   
parents would come back to pick her up.   
It's sad that she doesn't remember her   
parents at all."  
  
"Wow, what an interesting conversation   
you two had," said Greg. "Why don't the   
four of us go over there to cheer her   
up?"  
  
"Good idea!" said Mina.  
  
The four of them made their way to where   
Sasha was sitting.  
  
Sasha was in her blue beret, wearing a   
yellow dress and matching socks and   
shoes.  
  
"Sasha!" said Amy.  
  
Sasha, who was staring at the floor with   
a small frown on her face, turned up to   
see Amy's face. "AMY!" she yelled.  
  
"How are you, Sasha?" Amy asked.  
  
"Well... I'm so happy, now that you're   
here!" Sasha responded.  
  
"You remember Greg, right?"  
  
"Hello, Greg!" said Sasha.  
  
"Hi Sasha!" said Greg. "Sasha, these are   
our friends, Mina and Raye."  
  
"Pleased to meet you," said Mina and   
Raye.  
  
"So you're in the IQ contest, too, eh?"   
asked Greg.  
  
"Yeah," said Sasha. "I guess because I   
like to learn new things all the time,   
plus the director at my orphanage wanted   
me to show my talent to the rest of the   
country."  
  
"You must be proud to have made it here   
today," said Greg.  
  
"Mm-hmm, yes I am!" said Sasha.  
  
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN," said a male voice   
on the loudspeaker, "PLEASE COME TO THE   
MAIN ARENA FLOOR FOR THE OPENING   
CEREMONIES."  
  
"Can we all go together?" asked Sasha.  
  
The foursome looked at each other and   
smiled, and all of them agreed.  
  
So the five of them walked through the   
tunnel to the arena floor.  
  
As they walked through, they could see   
their other friends in the stands:   
Serena, Rini, Darien, Chad, Lita, Ken and   
Jamie.  
  
Greg pointed to his friends, and talked   
to Sasha. "Those are my friends up there.   
You see the girl with the pink hair   
eating the cotton candy? Her name is   
Rini. She must be around the same age as   
you are."  
  
"Great!" said Sasha. "I'd like to meet   
her!"  
  
"I think we can arrange for that   
afterwards," replied Greg.  
  
After Amy, Greg, Raye, Mina and Sasha   
took their seats, the host came forward,   
to a round of applause.  
  
"Good day, ladies and gentlemen, and   
contestants! My name is Mr. Kenji, and I   
will be your host for today's   
competition. Why don't we kick things off   
the right way, by welcoming last year's   
overall champion, who will be an   
assistant judge this year. She is one of   
the most talented musical players in all   
of Japan."  
  
"Sounds like someone big," said Raye   
quietly to the others.  
  
"Ladies and Gentlemen, playing a solo   
piece which she composed herself, please   
welcome last year's champion, violinist...   
MICHELLE KAIOU!!!"  
  
The audience cheered and applauded.  
  
But Greg clapped only three times before   
stopping and saying to himself: did he   
just say Michelle Kaiou?  
  
Greg turned to Amy, Mina, and Raye. The   
three girls were looking at HIM for an   
answer.  
  
Greg then turned his attention to where   
Serena and the others were sitting. None   
of them were clapping... instead most of   
their jaws were wide open. Lita and Rini   
had covered their mouths.  
  
At this point, Michelle Kaiou, with her   
flowing blue hair and long red gown,   
walked on to the stage, violin and bow in   
hand, toward the microphone.  
  
Then the other members of the sailor   
team, who knew who Michelle really was,   
erupted in applause.  
  
The audience quieted down, as Michelle   
took her place in front of the   
microphone. She bowed deeply before the   
audience, then put her violin into   
position, and lifted her bow to play the   
first few notes... when she saw some people   
that she recognized sitting on the main   
floor.  
  
Michelle gasped... her gasping sound could   
be heard throughout the arena over the   
loudspeakers. Michelle smiled, waved, and   
said softly in the microphone, "Hi!"  
  
Some of the others in the arena turned   
their heads in the direction of Greg,   
Amy, Raye and Mina, who all waved back.  
  
"Do you know her?" Sasha quietly asked   
Amy.  
  
"Yes," said Amy, "she's one of our best   
friends."  
  
Michelle then proceeded to play her   
piece. It was a three and a half minute   
piece, which everyone enjoyed.  
  
At the end, the audience again erupted   
into applause.  
  
"I love that song," said Sasha to Greg.   
"It reminds me of when I was very young."  
  
"Really?" said Greg.  
  
"Now, ladies and gentlemen," said Mr.   
Kenji on the microphone, "please support   
our contestants as they will now break   
into their respective groups for each   
competition. Winners will be announced   
through this microphone. Thank you!"  
  
"Well, I guess that means we're on our   
own now," said Mina, who stood up and   
grabbed her red bag. "Good-bye guys! Good   
luck!" she said to the others. She then   
blew a kiss to Jamie and proceeded on her   
way.  
  
"Guys, the schedule says the musical   
performers go first," said Raye.  
  
"All right, Raye, good luck!" said Amy,   
who hugged Raye.  
  
"Break a leg!" said Greg.  
  
"WHAT?!" exclaimed Raye, who moved up to   
within inches of Greg's face with an   
angry look.  
  
"It... It's only an expression..." said Greg.   
"Do your best, that's what it means..."  
  
Raye stepped back, thought for a moment,   
then said, "Anyway, good luck you guys!"  
  
"Bye!" said Greg.  
  
That left Amy, Greg and Sasha together.  
  
"Why don't we walk over to the IQ place   
over there so we can start?"  
  
"All right!" said Sasha.  
  
"Let's go then," said Amy.  
  
In the stands, Rini saw Greg, Amy and a   
young girl walk together to the IQ area.  
  
"Who's that?" asked Rini, pointing   
towards the young girl.  
  
"The girl with Amy and Greg?" said Jamie.   
"That's Sasha. She got lost yesterday in   
the hotel, and Amy helped bring her to   
the room. I'd call her our newest   
friend."  
  
"Wow!" said Rini. "I'd sure like to meet   
her! She's so cool in that blue hat!"  
  
A few rows behind Rini sat the woman with   
the large hat and sunglasses.  
  
"Just wait, just wait," she said to   
herself.  
  
Several minutes later, the competition   
began. The different competitions were   
spread out all across the arena floor,   
and it got very busy and noisy down   
there.  
  
Amy and Greg were waiting quietly to   
begin taking the written IQ exams for   
their grade level. Sasha, meanwhile, was   
already taking her written test. Since it   
was so loud in the whole place, all of   
the IQ contestants were given custom-  
fitted noise-canceling headphones to use.   
Wearing these, they could take their   
tests in peace and quiet.  
  
While Amy was seeing Sasha doing her   
test, she felt a tap on the shoulder.  
  
"What is it, Greg?" said Amy.  
  
"Uh... I'm not Greg," said a low, feminine   
voice.  
  
Amy turned around... and gasped...  
  
"AMARA!"  
  
"Hi Amy," said Amara, who embraced Amy.  
  
Greg then turned around, and opened his   
jaw. "You!" he said before embracing   
Amara as well.  
  
"Well, well, well, Amara Tenoh, boy, if   
Michelle was playing today, I just knew   
you'd be around here! So what's up?"  
  
"Ah, the same stuff," said Amara, "I'm in   
a brand-new racing league now. The league   
is covering tracks all over Japan. We're   
on a two-week hiatus now, so I thought   
I'd stop by to see Michelle perform on   
stage."  
  
"Being there for your cousin... I'm proud   
of you!" said Greg.  
  
"Where is Michelle now?" asked Amy.   
  
"She's judging, so I can't bother her.   
I'm working as an usher here, so that's   
how I got in here. So I figured I'd say   
hello to you guys."  
  
"Thanks for stopping by," said Greg, who   
pointed into the stands. "The others are   
up there, if you want to say hi."  
  
"All right, thanks! I'll see you later."  
  
  
The entire competition took several   
hours... but most of the people in   
attendance didn't seem to be bored.  
  
At the close of the day, the top winners   
were announced.  
  
There were many winners in different   
categories... the top five finishers were   
announced last, in this order:  
  
The winner in the dance category was Mina   
Aino, who put on an exhibition   
performance of The Dying Swan on the   
stage, to the delight of everyone,   
including her boyfriend Jamie.  
  
The winner in the musical talent category   
was Raye Hino, who made Chad so happy   
when she sung "Oh Starry Night" to the   
entire crowd.  
  
Next up were the IQ winners in the   
advanced category. Finishing in a tie,   
having scored 120 out of 121 questions   
correctly... were Amy Mizuno and Greg   
Urawa.  
  
Sasha's name would be announced last, as   
the IQ winner in the beginner's category...   
but just as Amy and Greg were about to   
leave the stage, trophies in hand, the   
lights in the arena went out.  
  
Everyone immediately panicked and   
attempted to fumble their way toward the   
exits.  
  
The light that was coming into the arena   
was only sunlight from the sun, setting   
in the west... but even so, to the crowds   
it felt like the arena went completely   
dark.  
  
Suddenly, there appeared a dark, demon   
figure in a flash of light.   
  
The figure was wearing a ruby red and   
black dress with dark, long hair and an   
inverted crescent on her forehead.  
  
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" said the figure.   
"ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF... I AM QUEEN   
SORINYA OF THE NEGAVERSE!"  
  
At this, Greg and Amy turn their heads   
back. "SORINYA!" they said.  
  
"BEHOLD AS I SUCK OUT ALL OF YOUR ENERGY   
IN ONE ZAP!!!"  
  
Queen Sorinya snapped her fingers,   
causing a flash of light throughout the   
arena.  
  
Those who were panicking... and those were   
fleeing... slumped unconscious onto the   
floor.  
  
Even the scouts and knights, who were   
ready to transform then and there,   
collapsed onto the ground.  
  
The host fell down, the stagehands fell   
down... everyone was on the floor, their   
energy having been drained from them.  
  
Except for Amy and Greg.  
  
"HA, HA, HA, HA!" said Sorinya, turning   
her attention to the two. "NOW! IF YOU   
THOUGHT YOU COULD GET AWAY FROM ME OR MY   
YOUMAS SEVERAL TIMES, THINK AGAIN! YOUR   
DESTRUCTION IS AT HAND!"  
  
"Shut up, blabber-face!" yelled Greg.   
"You're about to see what we're really   
made of!"  
  
Greg immediately drew out his Mercury   
dagger and flung it at Sorinya.  
  
Sorinya, in turn, caused a powerful   
shockwave blast, which ricocheted the   
dagger and flung it back toward Greg.  
  
Greg caught the dagger in the nick of   
time, before it stabbed him.  
  
"FINE, IF YOU WANT TO PLAY THAT WAY, TAKE   
THAT!" yelled Sorinya, who snapped her   
fingers again to cause a flash of light.  
  
Greg looked at Sorinya and said, "What's   
a matter? You so weak you missed me?"  
  
At that, Greg could hear someone   
struggling to get his attention.  
  
"G... Greg..." went the voice.  
  
Greg looked down... to see that Amy was   
flat on the floor, stunned in shock,   
blood starting to seep out of her nose.  
  
"AMY!" said Greg who immediately crouched   
down and held her in his arms.  
  
Greg then turned his head toward Sorinya,   
and yelled, "YOU'LL PAY, SORINYA, FOR   
BREAKING MY GIRLFRIEND'S PRETTY NOSE!"  
  
"Yes, that's the first step in the   
complete destruction of Amy Mizuno, now   
witness the conclusion!"  
  
Sorinya was about to launch another   
attack, when she heard a voice behind   
her...  
  
"Excuse me, could you please leave my   
friends alone?"  
  
Sorinya turned around to see a young girl   
looking up to her.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
Greg looked over to see that the little   
girl... was Sasha.  
  
"SASHA!" cried Greg. "Get away from here!   
Leave this place! Go! Go!"  
  
"I can't, Greg," replied Sasha in a firm   
voice, hands on hips. "This woman is   
very, very bad and very mean. She   
destroyed everything, and she is trying   
to steal the spotlight."  
  
"SASHA, PLEASE!" pleaded Greg.  
  
At this point, Amy was strong enough to   
be able to lift her head, and produce a   
worried look when she saw both Sorinya   
and Sasha.  
  
"So, what are you going to do about it,   
little girl?"  
  
"I'm not a little girl!"  
  
Greg and Amy were now looking on at   
Sasha.  
  
"My name is Sasha... and I want you to   
leave this place right... AAAAHHHH!!!"  
  
Sasha screamed when Sorinya reached over   
to pick her up.  
  
"So, Sasha, you want to play games?" said   
Sorinya.  
  
Sorinya could then feel waves of energy   
beginning to surge through her.  
  
"Oh.. oh yes.. your energy.. you have lots   
of energy.... I feel myself becoming   
stronger and stronger... you have...   
you..... have..... TOO..... MUCH!!!!"  
  
Sorinya was now violently shaking from   
the energy overload that was being   
emitted from Sasha.  
  
Greg and Amy, meanwhile, were seeing this   
incredible sight before their eyes, as   
large blue waves, like bolts of   
lightning, surrounded Sorinya and Sasha.  
  
When it ended, Sorinya fell on to her   
side, able to stay off the floor with one   
hand.  
  
Sasha, on the other hand, fell hard onto   
the ground.  
  
"SASHA!" yelled Amy, who tried to get up.  
  
"Stay down," said Greg, who grabbed his   
Mercury dagger, looked around, and   
immediately yelled, "MERCURY KNIGHT   
POWER!"  
  
Mercury Knight, in full military uniform,   
had his sword drawn and was ready to   
attack at Sorinya.  
  
But Sorinya yelled, "You... haven't.. seen...   
the last of... MEEEEE!" as she disappeared   
in a puff of purple smoke.  
  
After the smoke cleared, Mercury Knight   
turned his attention to Amy, still   
bleeding from her nose.  
  
Mercury Knight held his sword with both   
hands, and aimed it at Amy. He yelled,   
"MERCURY ICE BLADE HEALING ACTIVATION!"  
  
A ray of blue light emanated from Mercury   
Knight's sword, hitting Amy's nose. Amy   
could feel that the area around her face   
was turning from painful... to cool and   
refreshing, as the ray of light healed   
her nose.  
  
Amy was about to thank Mercury Knight,   
but then turned her attention back to an   
unconscious Sasha.  
  
"SASHA!" she yelled, running toward her.   
Mercury Knight ran close behind her.  
  
Amy and Mercury Knight kneeled down to   
try to wake up Sasha... when they saw   
something that almost knocked THEM down   
to the floor.  
  
The hard hit on the floor from before had   
knocked Sasha's blue beret off of her   
head.  
  
Amy and Mercury Knight looked at Sasha's   
head to see that...  
  
Sasha's hair was...  
  
Short...  
  
And, save for some streaks of light aqua   
and orange on one side...  
  
Blue...  
  
Styled exactly like Amy's.  
  
Mercury Knight looked at the spot where   
Sorinya was a moment ago... then at Amy...   
then back at Sasha.  
  
Mercury Knight grabbed Sasha in his arms,   
and gently stroked Sasha's short blue,   
aqua and orange hair. It felt as if he   
was stroking Amy's short blue hair, which   
he'd done countless times.  
  
He said to Amy:  
  
"Ames... there's something about the way   
she acted just now... and... there's   
something about this hair...  
  
"Let's get the other scouts, and go to   
the hotel quickly," he said.  
  
****************************  
End of Chapter 18  
  
What is it about Sasha that has Greg curious?  
  
You'll find out in Chapter 19 of  
The Saga of Mercury.  
  
To repeat:  
Chapter 19 will be released on December 25, 2002  
exclusively in PDF format at the official home page   
of this fanfic story:  
http://members.aol.com/jrhorse98/sagaofmercury  
and in text format at the Sailor Moon newsgroup  
news:alt.fan.sailor-moon  
  
Chapter 19 will be released no earlier than  
December 29, 2002 at this and other fan fiction  
library sites. 


	19. A Futuristic Discovery

DISCLAIMER  
  
As usual, "Sailor Moon" and all related characters  
are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, TOEI  
Animation and other agencies.  
  
The Saga of Mercury story is copyrighted by me, however  
content in some chapters is based on the Mercury  
Knight Stories as described in the Chapter 1 Introduction.  
  
  
******  
You can view released chapters in PDF format by visiting  
the official web site of this fanfic, at:  
http://members.aol.com/jrhorse98/sagaofmercury/index.html  
  
You can also view these chapters at:  
http://www.fanfiction.net  
http://www.moonromance.net  
http://www.mediaminer.org/fanfic  
http://www.fandomination.net  
http://www.efanfiction.net  
  
Chapters are also posted weekly at the Sailor Moon newsgroup:  
news:alt.fan.sailor-moon  
******  
  
  
The Saga of Mercury  
Chapter 19   
A Futuristic Discovery  
  
It had been a long several hours for the   
entire sailor scout team that was present   
at the arena when Sorinya attempted to   
strike.  
  
After Sorinya escaped from the arena,   
Mercury Knight de-transformed and quickly   
carried Sasha back to the hotel, which   
just happened to have a small round-the-  
clock nurse station for guests. Amy, on   
the other hand, was asked to revive the   
rest of the sailor scouts and knights   
that were knocked out, which she   
proceeded to do by transforming into   
Sailor Mercury and using the Shabon Wand.  
  
The nurse told Greg that Sasha had   
suffered a concussion... however all Sasha   
needed, according to the nurse, was a few   
hours of sleep, and she would be just   
fine.  
  
Greg requested that the nurse notify his   
other friends when they arrived that   
Sasha would rest in his room. After the   
nurse nodded her approval, Greg carried   
Sasha up to his room and lied Sasha down   
on his bed.  
  
Greg looked up at Sasha's head... at her   
short, perfectly styled hair, that   
reminded him so much of Amy... and saw the   
bump on her left side that was a result   
of the hit on the ground.  
  
Greg then heard a sliding sound, and saw   
Amy rush into the room, along with Lita,   
Ken, Serena, Darien, Rini, Chad and Raye.  
  
"Greg," said Amy, "Jamie and Mina went   
over to get Luna and Artemis, and call up   
the orphanage."  
  
"Good," said Greg. "Thanks."  
  
"Gee," said Chad, "Sorinya got us good."  
  
"Yeah," replied Ken, "but don't you think   
we should be worrying about Sasha right   
now?"  
  
"Ken's right, Chad," said Raye. "Sasha   
looks hurt, and we may have to take her   
to the hospital."  
  
"No," said Amy, "I think she looks all   
right, she needs to rest a while,   
though."  
  
"Yes, that's what the nurse said   
downstairs," said Greg.  
  
"Poor Sasha," said Rini.  
  
"Yeah, she risked her life to save all of   
us," said Serena. "Amazing that someone   
as small as her could do that..."  
  
"But how?" asked Darien.  
  
"I don't know what you guys think, but   
Sasha's hair looks a lot like Amy's,"   
said Lita.  
  
"Yeah, I think we all realize that," said   
Greg.  
  
At that point, a knock could be heard on   
the door. Raye opened the door... and saw   
Amara and Michelle.  
  
Everyone welcomed Amara and Michelle into   
the room.  
  
"How's the little one doing?" asked   
Amara.  
  
"Resting now," said Amy.  
  
"She looks very sweet," said Michelle.  
  
Greg looked at Sasha for a moment... then   
turned to Michelle and said, "Yes, she   
does, doesn't she?"  
  
A card swipe could be heard at the door...   
and in stepped Jamie, Mina, Luna and   
Artemis.  
  
Luna and Artemis climbed up onto the bed   
to get their first look at the young   
girl.  
  
Luna walked around Sasha's body twice.   
"Hmm. I have a feeling about this girl,"   
she said.  
  
"What kind of feeling," said Artemis.  
  
"I sense... that this girl... has come a long   
way to see us," said Luna.  
  
"A long way... to see US?" asked Greg.  
  
"Hmm..." Luna said as she continued to   
study the girl.  
  
"What did you say her name was," asked   
Artemis.  
  
"Sasha," replied Amy.  
  
"Sasha.. Sasha.." said Artemis to himself.   
"I'm trying to see if this name sounds   
familiar..."  
  
"Well," said Luna, "the only thing that   
looks familiar here is Sasha's hair. It   
looks exactly like Amy's hair.. she's got   
some strands of orange and aqua hair on   
her left side, but it's blue for the most   
part, and cut short. Some small bangs   
were combed forward... yes, if we compared   
her hair to Amy's, they're almost exactly   
the same."  
  
"Hey," said Artemis, extending his paw.   
"What's that necklace?"  
  
Artemis was pointing to Sasha's gold,   
heart-shaped necklace.  
  
"Oh," replied Amy, "Sasha told me before   
that her parents had left her that when   
she was three years old, when she went to   
the orphanage."  
  
"She was orphaned?" asked Lita.  
  
"Unfortunately, that appears to be the   
case," said Greg.  
  
Greg got up and walked towards the   
resting Sasha.  
  
While he was doing that, Artemis asked,   
"Amy, what do you think of Sasha?"  
  
"Well..." said Amy, "I've become somewhat   
attached to her over this very short   
period of time... we all have the same   
interests... she loves school, and she   
loves every subject..."  
  
"Well, that's nice!" replied Serena.   
"Perhaps Sasha could help you, Rini."  
  
"Perhaps she could really help YOU,   
Serena," replied Rini.  
  
Serena had a sweatdrop on her head.  
  
Meanwhile, Greg was getting a close look   
at Sasha's necklace.  
  
Greg noticed that there was a small snap   
on the side of the necklace. The heart,   
it appeared, was able to open up to show   
something inside.  
  
Greg said to himself, well Sasha, I don't   
want to violate your privacy, but who   
knows if this heart necklace has   
something to do with all of this...  
  
Greg opened up the heart.  
  
Greg looked inside... then gasped and   
froze, stunned in shock at what he saw.  
  
He looked up again at Sasha, then back   
down at the necklace.  
  
Greg nervously said, "She came a long way   
to see us, all right..."  
  
"What are you talking about," asked   
Darien.  
  
"Well," said Greg, showing the inside of   
the necklace to everyone, "can anyone   
explain why this necklace has the MERCURY   
SYMBOL INSIDE??"  
  
Everyone gasped.  
  
Amy almost fainted.  
  
Indeed, the inside of the necklace showed   
the symbol of the planet Mercury, dotted   
with small sapphire stones. A large,   
circular diamond filled in the space   
inside the circle portion of the symbol.  
  
"She's one of us," said Greg.  
  
At that instant, Greg could start to feel   
something from inside... his psychic powers   
from being an original rainbow crystal   
carrier were starting to kick in.  
  
"I'm getting my psychic pow... whoa,   
they're strong..." said Greg.  
  
Amy's frozen face met Greg's. "What is it   
telling you," said Amy, "anything, just   
say anything... whatever you see..."  
  
"Right..." said Greg...  
  
Greg concentrated... and concentrated...  
  
The psychic powers of Greg were lying out   
the timeline... of the future...  
  
Greg had random thoughts pass through his   
head, and he described these thoughts to   
the others as he saw them...  
  
##  
  
It was the 31st century on the planet   
Mercury.  
  
In the royal hospital ward, King Gregory   
was pacing back and forth, waiting   
outside of the delivery room, where Queen   
Amy was only moments away from giving   
birth to their first child.  
  
News of the impending birth spread across   
the entire moon kingdom, and King James   
of Venus and King Endymion of the Moon   
joined Gregory in the ward as they   
anxiously awaited the result.  
  
"Boy or Girl?" asked James.  
  
"Well, we've got the technology," said   
Gregory, "but we decided it's best to   
wait until the baby is born to find out."  
  
"Oh, you like surprises?" said Endymion.  
  
"Yeah... I have only one wish... whether it's   
a boy or a girl..." said Gregory, smiling.   
"I hope that the child will grow up to be   
as smart as Amy... we'll worry about the   
heir to the throne at a later time..."  
  
At that point, the assistant surgeon   
stepped out of the room and saluted King   
Gregory. "Your Majesty, we've..."  
  
"Stop, stop," said Gregory. "You can just   
call me Gregory, or just Greg, skip the   
your majesty part, PLEASE."  
  
"Uh, yes, Greg, anyway, we've waited too   
long, we have chosen to start inducing   
labor."  
  
"Well, that's fine with me. You have to   
do what you have to do."  
  
"If you'd like to join your wife, that   
would be fine with us... just put on a   
doctor's robe and a mask."  
  
"Well," said Endymion, "this is it! Are   
you nervous?"  
  
"Sort of," said Gregory, "but this the   
moment I've been waiting a very long time   
for..."  
  
"When the baby is delivered, make sure   
you tell us about it so we can tell   
everyone else," said James.  
  
"Right," said Gregory, as he donned the   
doctor's coat and the mask, and held his   
head high as he walked with the assistant   
surgeon into the delivery room.  
  
The other doctors bowed to Gregory as he   
made his way toward the table... with his   
blue-haired wife on it.  
  
Gregory immediately clutched Amy's hand.  
  
Amy was sweating profusely, but was   
smiling.   
  
"I love you," she said.  
  
"I love you too," said Gregory, "and I'll   
be right here with you until the baby   
comes out."  
  
"Thank you sweetie," said Amy in reply.  
  
Two minutes later, the contractions   
began.  
  
Amy clutched tightly to Gregory's hand as   
she began to breathe the way she was   
taught to.  
  
"Nice deep breaths," said Gregory. "Now   
start making those breaths shallow...   
faster... there you go."  
  
"Are you ready, Your Highness?" said the   
chief surgeon. "PUSH!"  
  
Amy started to push, and could feel the   
pain all over her body. Amy cried out   
loud... wailed out loud... as the baby began   
to make its way into the world.  
  
"KEEP PUSHING," yelled the chief surgeon.  
  
"Come on Ames, you can do it," said   
Gregory.  
  
"Aaaahh," yelled Amy. "Yes.. be strong.. be   
strong.. ahh.. be strong.."  
  
Amy was starting to smile as he repeated   
Gregory's words of wisdom that he had   
used constantly.  
  
"That's right, be strong, just like I've   
always told you..." said Gregory...  
  
At this point, everyone... including   
Endymion and James standing outside...   
could hear the cries of Amy... then the   
cries of something else... the baby that   
was on its way out.  
  
A few seconds after that came the chief   
surgeon's important words...  
  
"THAT'S IT! IT'S OUT!"  
  
The doctors clapped and cheered as the   
baby came out and was taken to the corner   
for inspections and tests.  
  
King Endymion and King James embraced   
upon hearing the surgeon's words.  
  
Amy shed tears of joy as the chief   
surgeon gave Gregory permission to remove   
his mask.  
  
Amy and Greg held each other close -- held   
each other tight -- having succeeded in   
bringing a child into the world.  
  
"You did it, Amy!"  
  
"No, my love... WE did it!"  
  
Two minutes later, the chief surgeon   
presented the newborn baby, wrapped in a   
white cloth, right into Amy's arms.  
  
"If it pleases your highness," said he,   
"you have just given birth to a   
beautiful, healthy, baby girl."  
  
Gregory was shedding a tear of delight at   
this point. "It's a girl..." he said.  
  
"She's so beautiful," said Amy in reply.  
  
"I... I forgot what we were supposed to   
name her," said Gregory.  
  
"Sasha, remember?" said Amy.  
  
"Yes," said Gregory. Then he asked the   
chief surgeon, "uh... you mind relaying the   
birth information to Endymion and James   
outside, and they'll spread the news. We   
have chosen the name Sasha."  
  
"Yes sir," said the chief surgeon, "I'll   
have one of my assistants take care of it   
right away,"  
  
"Thank you," said Gregory. "Thank you for   
your help, you and your assistants, for   
making this delivery a rousing success."  
  
"Our pleasure, sir," said the chief   
surgeon. "Don't forget about the placenta   
later..."  
  
Meanwhile, Amy was looking at her new   
daughter... who had just opened her eyes.  
  
Amy gasped as she looked into the two   
bright, blue orbs. "She's just opened her   
eyes, like that!" she said. "This isn't   
supposed to happen yet!"  
  
"Well, that's a very good sign," said   
Gregory. "You know what that means... she's   
ready to learn, just like you."  
  
  
##  
  
Princess Sasha was standing at the foot   
of the Mercury palace, facing her   
parents.  
  
"I'm ready, mommy, daddy," she said.  
  
"I'm sure you are," said Queen Amy, in   
her long blue gown. "You're ready to   
learn about the sailor scouts."  
  
"We are going to send you to stay with   
Sailor Pluto for a short while. She, in   
turn, will take you to Tokyo in the 21st   
century, where you will grow up as a   
normal person; learning as a normal   
person would..." said King Gregory.  
  
"And in a few years, fate will bring you   
to the two of us, as our younger selves,"   
said Amy.  
  
"Do you mean that I will see you, mommy?"   
asked Sasha.  
  
"Yes," replied Amy. "You'll see me as Amy   
Mizuno, and around her you should see   
your daddy, as Greg Urawa. With us in the   
21st century will be everyone else that   
you have recognized... Queen Serenity, who   
is Serena, King Endymion, who is Darien,   
and many other people."  
  
"I am very excited... and I like my new   
hair, too!"  
  
"Yes, those orange and aquamarine streaks   
that we added," said Amy, "are just   
identifying features for when our 21st   
century counterparts find out about you.   
But you look really pretty!"  
  
Gregory said, "I guess they'll just   
figure you out from your hair style..."  
  
He stopped talking when his daughter   
looked down at the ground, frowning a   
bit.  
  
"What's a matter," he asked.  
  
"When... when will I see you again?" said   
Sasha.  
  
"Well, I have something that will help   
you remember about your times with us,"   
said Gregory, presenting a heart-shaped   
necklace, with sapphires and a diamond on   
the inside, comprising the Mercury   
symbol.  
  
Gregory placed the necklace around Sasha,   
and said with a smile, "As my 21st century   
counterpart would normally say, you look,   
'wicked cool'. Now, when you go to Earth,   
your memories of us, and of Mercury and   
the Moon Kingdom, will be erased... but,   
this heart will keep all of these   
memories intact... you know, nothing will   
happen to them."  
  
"And then," said Amy, "at the right   
moment, you will be called upon to assist   
the sailor scouts and knights in their   
fight against the Negaverse, at which   
point you will transform into Sailor Mini   
Mercury, and obtain a power that is very   
unique to yourself. And once you   
transform, all of your memories of us   
will come back."  
  
Princess Sasha was quiet for a moment,   
but then smiled, and said optimistically,   
"I will pray to myself, that one day, I   
will be able to see my mommy and daddy   
again."  
  
The King and Queen were blown away by   
what their daughter said. They never   
expected her to take it this well.  
  
The Queen broke into tears and hugged her   
daughter. "Farewell, Princess."  
  
"Bye, mommy."  
  
King Gregory joined in the joint embrace.  
  
"Sasha, safe passage to you, and always   
remember what I have told you..."  
  
BE STRONG...  
  
##  
  
Greg opened his eyes wide, snapping out   
of his trance.  
  
He looked around to see all the girls   
moved to tears. All the men, and the two   
cats, had smiles on their faces.  
  
Then he looked back down to Sasha, who   
was still resting.  
  
"Sasha.." Greg said softly.. "She's.. my..   
daughter.."  
  
Amy embraced Greg at that moment. "Our   
daughter, sweetie... Who'd have known that   
this would be happening to us..."  
  
  
After another hour, Greg decided to carry   
Sasha outside of the hotel, for a little   
bit of fresh air.  
  
At that, something unimaginable in the   
entire country occurred.  
  
A man, of dirty appearance, slammed into   
Greg, knocking him hard -- but not out --   
on the ground. The man then scooped up   
Sasha and ran down the street.  
  
"SASHA!" he yelled.  
  
Seconds later, the other scouts and   
knights began to run out of the hotel to   
where Greg was.  
  
"WHERE'S SASHA!" Amy yelled.  
  
"Sasha has been kidnapped," said Greg, "a   
muscular guy bumped into me when I wasn't   
looking, and took her."  
  
"Well, we can't tell the police, this is   
too important!" said Chad.  
  
Greg stood up immediately and walked   
straight to Chad. "Chad," he said in a   
stern voice, "for once... you're right."  
  
Speaking to everyone, Greg said, "Guys,   
Sasha is too risky for us to lose.   
Remember, our services aren't just   
limited to Negaverse creeps."  
  
"Do you need our help?" asked Amara and   
Michelle.  
  
"I'd say yes," said Amy, "whatever help   
we can get, we just have to find Sasha!"  
  
"Yes, if she wakes up we have to try and   
unlock her memory," said Jamie.  
  
"Right," said Darien. "Let's run over to   
that dead end so we can transform."  
  
The thirteen of them ran to the dead end,   
saw nobody around there, and proceeded to   
transform.  
  
"MERCURY STAR POWER!"  
"MERCURY KNIGHT POWER!"  
"MARS STAR POWER!"  
"MARS KNIGHT POWER!"  
"JUPITER STAR POWER!"  
"JUPITER KNIGHT POWER!"  
"VENUS STAR POWER!"  
"VENUS KNIGHT POWER!"  
"URANUS PLANET POWER!"  
"NEPTUNE PLANET POWER!"  
"MOON PRISM POWER!"  
"MOON COSMIC POWER!"  
  
And a certain man, with a black cape and   
tuxedo, announced his presence: "TUXEDO   
MASK IS ON DUTY."  
  
All thirteen of them split across Fukuoka   
to try to find Sasha and the kidnapper.  
  
After a while, the kidnapper thought that   
he had outrun all of them, and lied Sasha   
down on the floor. He then transformed   
into a large, muscular, red-skinned   
figure, with a black outfit and the   
Negamoon symbol on his head.  
  
"And now," said the creature, "I will   
drain all of this child's energy until   
she is no more! I, Rederon, will succeed   
for the Negaverse!"  
  
"I wouldn't touch her if I were you,"   
said a voice.  
  
Rederon looked up.  
  
The strong wind was kicking up, blowing   
some leaves in the air, as two figures   
stood back to back in the distance.  
  
"We won't allow you or the Negaverse harm   
anyone and steal their energy... especially   
from young girls! I'M SAILOR URANUS, the   
flying warrior, protected by Planet   
Uranus!"  
  
"AND I'M SAILOR NEPTUNE, protected by the   
Planet Neptune! Stop what you're doing to   
that little girl, or we shall have to   
harm you."  
  
Rederon placed the resting Sasha on the   
floor.  
  
"Just try me!" he yelled, as he shot   
balls of fire from out of his arms.   
Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune jumped   
out of the fireball's paths before   
setting up synchronous attacks.  
  
"WORLD SHAKING!"  
"DEEP SUBMERGE!"  
  
Rederon was hit, flooded, and shaken by   
the two attacks. The attacks knocked the   
wind out of him, and he had one knee on   
the ground, struggling to regain his   
composure.  
  
In the meantime, the other 11 sailor   
scouts and knights had joined Sailor   
Uranus and Neptune where they were.  
  
"Stop right there!" said Sailor Moon. "We   
will not allow you to harm a piece of our   
future! For love and justice, I am..."  
  
Sailor Uranus cut her off. "STOP Sailor   
Moon... Sasha is starting to come to."  
  
Sasha was slowly opening her eyes and   
raising her head. "Uh... w... what?"   
she said softly.  
  
Sailor Mercury ran up to her.  
  
"Sasha, are you all right?"  
  
"W... who are you?"  
  
Sailor Mercury removed her tiara. "It's   
me, Amy, do you remember me?"  
  
"Amy!" Sasha said.  
  
"Listen, can you do me a huge favor right   
now?"  
  
"Anything for you, Amy!"  
  
Sailor Mercury placed her tiara back on.   
"Take your heart locket and open it."  
  
"Okay," said Sasha. "I never wondered   
what this symbol is all about."  
  
"You might find out in a second... I want   
you to hold up that locket, and say,   
Mercury.. uh.. Mercury.. oh no! I don't know   
what you're supposed to say!"  
  
Sailor Mercury turned to Mercury Knight.   
"Greg, how is she supposed to transform?   
What is she supposed to say?"  
  
"Ah... oh, boy," he responded. "Well...   
if Rini uses prism power, then have Sasha   
try that! Mercury Prism Power!"  
  
"All right," said Sailor Mercury to   
Sasha, "say Mercury Prism Power."  
  
"OK!" responded Sasha.  
  
Sasha raised her necklace.  
  
Sailor Mercury, Mercury Knight, and   
everyone else braced themselves... as   
Rederon was regaining strength.  
  
"MERCURY PRISM POWER!"  
  
With that, the Mercury symbol on her   
necklace glowed brightly, and rays of   
light and bubbles began to shoot out and   
circle around her. The power was so   
intense, Sailor Mercury had to back off a   
few feet.  
  
Sasha danced with the light and danced   
with the bubbles.. and as she did.. started   
to remember everything about her past...   
about the Moon Kingdom... about Mercury...   
about her parents... and about why she was   
sent here, to the 21st century.  
  
When it was all said and done, she struck   
a pose with both arms straight up in the   
air, her hands pointing up and away from   
her body, mimicking a part of the Mercury   
symbol. She wore white with a blue   
sailor-type overlay and an orange bow in   
front, a blue "fuku" skirt, a blue tiara   
and choker, and blue knee-high boots.  
  
She was no longer just Sasha...  
  
She was the future Princess Sasha of   
Mercury...  
  
She was Sailor Mini Mercury.  
  
Sailor Mini Mercury immediately turned   
her attention to Rederon.  
  
"How dare you try to destroy my friends!   
I shall not allow it. For love and peace,   
I am the future princess of Mercury,   
SAILOR MINI MERCURY!"  
  
"You go, girl," said Mars Knight.  
  
Sailor Mercury and Mercury Knight smiled   
joyfully upon hearing that positive   
comment.  
  
Sailor Mini Mercury immediately proceeded   
to move her arms forward, in a swift   
circular motion, and yelled, "SHABON   
FAN!"  
  
Mercury Knight quipped, "Shabon FAN??"  
  
At that instant, waves of water were   
starting to encircle Mini Mercury's   
moving arms. The water then shot forward,   
at a great rate of speed, toward Rederon.  
  
"Too easy," said Rederon, as he held up   
his hands to block the water.  
  
The water struck Rederon's hands... and   
froze on impact.  
  
Sailor Mercury was amazed. "That was   
super cooled water!"  
  
Rederon found himself not able to move   
his hands, which were frozen together in   
front of him.  
  
"All right, you!" said Mercury Knight,   
pointing to Rederon with his sword. "I   
find you guilty of violating law number   
2938-G. I doubt there exists such a law   
as 2938-G, but you are hereby sentenced   
to cruel.. AND USUAL.. punishment! MERCURY   
ICE BLADE CHARGE!"  
  
The fast rays from the Ice Blade attack   
froze Rederon's entire body, shattering   
it into blocks of moon dust, which   
quickly melted and disappeared.  
  
Mercury Knight sheathed his sword.   
"Another job well... done..."  
  
Mercury Knight stopped when he saw Mini   
Mercury -- with the glowing symbol of   
Mercury having replaced the tiara on her   
forehead -- looking at him.  
  
Mini Mercury was smiling, and tears were   
beginning to flow out.  
  
Mercury Knight slowly stepped forward.   
Sailor Mercury then joined him, wrapping   
her arm around his.  
  
Mini Mercury said: "M... mommy? Daddy?"  
  
Mercury Knight and Sailor Mercury   
crouched down to Mini Mercury's level.  
  
"Well, I guess you could say that..." said   
Mercury Knight, "even though you're not   
going to be born for another... thousand   
years..."  
  
Mini Mercury put her hands on Mercury   
Knight's shoulders, to which Mercury   
Knight gave a surprised look. "I now know   
why I am here... why I've come," she said.   
"To find my future parents and to learn   
to become a sailor scout, just like   
everyone else."  
  
"But what about the orphanage?" said   
Sailor Mercury.  
  
Mini Mercury, putting her hands back   
down, said, "I don't need to stay there   
anymore... because I have found my true   
mommy and my true daddy."  
  
Mercury Knight paused for a moment, and   
then said: "Time to say hello to the   
future."   
  
He opened his arms...  
  
And Mini Mercury ran right into them...  
  
"I LOVE YOU, DADDY!" she yelled.  
  
Mercury Knight smiled and looked at   
Sailor Mercury, who was streaming tears   
from her eyes.  
  
"I... love you... Sasha... my daughter"   
replied Mercury Knight, who held Mini   
Mercury tightly.  
  
Then Mercury Knight let go of her and   
said, "Hey, what about this other girl   
with short blue hair?"  
  
"MOMMY!" she yelled, hugging Sailor   
Mercury.  
  
As Sailor Mercury hugged her future   
daughter, Mercury Knight asked her, "I   
guess we'll manage?"  
  
Sailor Mercury nodded in approval.  
  
By this time, the other sailor scouts and   
knights had joined the threesome.  
  
Mini Mercury looked around. "I know all   
of you!"  
  
"Welcome aboard," said Sailor Moon.  
  
"Yeah, you're swell!" said Sailor Mini   
Moon.  
  
"Rini!" replied Sailor Mini Mercury. "Can   
you teach me, too?"  
  
"We'll all be around to teach you," said   
Sailor Venus.  
  
"That's what friends are for," said   
Sailor Jupiter.  
  
"Remember, there's no I in team," said   
Jupiter Knight.  
  
"You can start slowly, and then we'll   
work it from there," said Venus Knight.  
  
"You're going to enjoy life with us,"   
said Sailor Mars. "We'll see each other   
every day, hang out, and go out to eat   
things..."  
  
"Well, I do have schoolwork," said Mini   
Mercury.  
  
Sailor Mars' eyes rolled back in her   
head, while Mars Knight responded,   
"that's two now!"  
  
"If there's anything you need help on,   
we'll be around," said Tuxedo Mask.  
  
"Thank you... thank you everybody," said   
Mini Mercury. "Whenever I face something   
hard or difficult, as my father would   
say..."  
  
"What?" asked Mercury Knight after a   
pause.  
  
"Be strong," she responded.  
  
The strength of Sailor Mini Mercury's   
response brought smiles to the faces of   
her future mother, Sailor Mercury, her   
future father, Mercury Knight, and to the   
rest of the sailor scouts and knights.  
  
In the distance, the sun was already   
setting, mixing in with the puffy clouds   
to offer streaks of orange, yellow, pink   
and gray in the sky, as a happy,   
exciting, eventful and cherished day in   
Fukuoka came to a close.  
  
***************************  
END OF CHAPTER 19  
  
Join us next time for Chapter 20 of  
The Saga of Mercury. 


	20. The Swimming Lesson

Visit the NEW WEB SITE for The Saga of Mercury!  
You can view two drawings by Anime artist Scortia and  
download chapters in PDF format by visiting:  
http://members.aol.com/jrhorse98/sagaofmercury/index.html  
and clicking on the "Graphics" link. 1024x768 recommended.  
  
You can also view these chapters at:  
http://www.fanfiction.net  
http://www.moonromance.net  
http://www.mediaminer.org/fanfic  
http://www.fandomination.net  
http://www.efanfiction.net  
  
Chapters are also posted weekly at the Sailor Moon newsgroup:  
news:alt.fan.sailor-moon  
  
**********  
DISCLAIMER  
  
As usual, "Sailor Moon" and all related characters  
are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, TOEI  
Animation and other agencies.  
  
The Saga of Mercury story is copyrighted by me, however  
content in some chapters is based on the Mercury  
Knight Stories as described in the Chapter 1 Introduction.  
**********  
  
  
The Saga of Mercury  
Chapter 20   
The Swimming Lesson  
  
Greg was sinking into the couch in his   
living room, arms crossed over, and   
thinking.  
  
It was five days after a most amazing   
thing happened to him... he found out that   
in addition to Amy Mizuno becoming his   
future wife and Queen of Mercury, the two   
of them would have a daughter... a   
beautiful daughter, who was intelligent   
and wise, just like them... Sasha...  
  
He still couldn't believe it.  
  
He'd been recalling the events of the   
past few days over and over in his head.  
  
The day after the important revelation,   
Amy and her mother got together along   
with Greg and his father to discuss an   
adoption of a child.  
  
After some nice conversation, Mrs. Mizuno   
and Mr. Urawa agreed that Amy and Greg,   
at this point in life, were mature enough   
to take equal responsibility of a child...   
a child, which Amy described, looked a   
lot like her.  
  
They re-affirmed their approval when they   
saw Sasha the very next day.  
  
Before Amy and Greg introduced Sasha to   
the two, they signed the discharge papers   
at the Nagatacho orphanage, and everyone   
there wished Sasha, and her new "foster"   
parents, all the best.  
  
The arrangement was made that Sasha would   
stay with Amy during the workweek, and in   
Greg's house on weekends.  
  
Yesterday, Amy and Greg officially   
introduced Sasha to the other Sailor   
Scouts and Knights, in a meeting at   
Raye's temple. Everyone... including   
Michelle and Amara, who had stopped by   
for a little while... welcomed Sasha to the   
Sailor Scout family with open arms, and   
they were looking forward to working with   
her, as well as teaching her, in their   
fight against evil. Then, Sasha and Rini   
played hide-and-seek inside the temple,   
while Jamie kept an eye on them and the   
others discussed sailor business.  
  
And now, today.   
  
Today, Sasha would step into his house   
for the very first time.   
  
And he was very excited.  
  
Earlier in the day, Amy had told him that   
she and Sasha would spend the morning   
swimming at the fitness center.  
  
I wonder how Sasha will do, Greg thought   
to himself. It should be a piece of...  
  
Greg then had a thought... a psychic   
thought.  
  
The former rainbow crystal carrier   
realized something.  
  
Sasha, he said to himself, was never   
taught how to swim... she was always shy...  
  
Greg thought for a moment... then stood up,   
and walked over to the answering machine.  
  
He pressed the "MEMO" button, and then   
spoke: "Dad, it's Greg. Just in case you   
get home first, I'm going over to the   
fitness center, Amy and Sasha are   
supposed to be there and I'm gonna check   
in on the two of them. I'll bring the two   
of them home after that. See you later."  
  
Greg then donned his light blue jacket   
and walked to the corner, to pick up the   
bus that would take him to the fitness   
center.  
  
  
Meanwhile, back in the Negaverse...  
  
"I'd rather call her 'Squasha'", said the   
blue-bodied, white-faced feminine youma   
Tortowaki to Queen Sorinya, regarding Amy   
and Greg's future daughter. "Give me the   
command and I will crush her in one   
swing! She's still inexperienced... I'll   
isolate her parents, and then take her   
with ease!"  
  
"I want to do that, too," said Sorinya.   
"But I want to look at the whole   
situation first... do some reconnaissance   
and then report back to me. I want to see   
all of the options that I have when it   
comes to getting rid of Sasha... without   
her parents even seeing it..."  
  
Sorinya smiled. Tortowaki followed suit.  
  
  
At the fitness center...  
  
Greg unzipped his jacket as he entered   
the fitness center and showed his I.D. at   
the front desk.  
  
"Uh..." said the woman at the front desk,   
"you currently have two people using your   
buddy passes.. an adult and a child.. in   
the training pool, all alone in the   
rear."  
  
"Thank you," said Greg.  
  
Greg walked through the corridor, past   
the all too familiar main pool, and   
through two more corridors... before the   
bright, white door to the training pool   
was staring him right in the face.  
  
"Well, this is it," said Greg.  
  
He took a deep breath... and opened the   
door.  
  
As he stepped into the training pool   
area, which was smaller, and shallower,   
than the main pool, he immediately saw   
two figures standing off to his left.  
  
Greg took two steps, then leaned against   
a roof support beam... and watched.  
  
  
"I'm nervous," Sasha said to Amy at the   
edge of the pool.  
  
"Don't be nervous," said Amy gently.   
"Remember everything that I've told you..   
and what we've been working on. I'll be   
right here for you."  
  
Sasha, donned in her yellow, one-piece   
suit with a yellow cap, was ready to try   
to swim on her own, without any   
assistance from Amy, who was wearing a   
spiffy blue-colored two-piece.  
  
Wow, Amy's got on a two-piece? Greg said   
to himself.  
  
Amy was going to let Sasha try to swim   
the whole length of the training pool.. 20   
yards... using a free-style stroke. She had   
already taught her how to float, how to   
move her arms and legs in the water, and   
how to stay afloat if something went   
wrong.   
  
"Ready," said Sasha.  
  
"Okay, I'm going to count to three and   
then let you go," said Amy.  
  
"One.. Two.."  
  
"WAIT," cried Sasha. "I'm scared!"  
  
"Oh Sasha, calm down. I know you can do   
it, and YOU know you can do it. Now, just   
like Greg has always told me.. take nice,   
deep breaths.."  
  
"AND BE STRONG!" yelled a voice.  
  
Amy and Sasha gasped.. was someone spying   
on them?  
  
They turned their heads around.. to notice   
that Greg was right there, near the   
entrance.  
  
"GREG!" yelled Sasha with a smile.  
  
"I love you, Sasha!" said Greg.  
  
"And I love you.. DAD!" yelled Sasha.  
  
Greg huffed.. and smiled. "Hey, I wanna   
give you a BIG hug, but you'll have to   
get to the other edge..."  
  
In the middle of Greg's sentence, Sasha   
wasted no time, springing out of Amy's   
arms, and swimming as hard as she could.  
  
"...of the pool," said a monotonous Greg,   
completing his sentence.  
  
Sasha was swimming the freestyle stroke,   
exactly as Amy had taught her.  
  
"There you go!" said Amy. "Go Sasha!"  
  
"Come on Sasha!" said Greg. "I know you   
can do it!"  
  
Sasha was now halfway home.. and was   
getting closer... closer... closer to the   
goal...  
  
Then...  
  
Sasha could feel her swimming cap come   
off... and a strange force pulling at her   
hair.  
  
Sasha stopped swimming and screamed in   
pain, as the force lifted her out of the   
pool and into the air.  
  
Greg gasped at what he saw. Amy gasped,   
too, and went into a fast stroke in the   
pool to try to get close to Sasha.  
  
Sasha was being pulled toward the glass   
roof. It looked as if Sasha's blue hair   
was sticking straight up on ends... worse   
than the bride of Frankenstein.  
  
But Greg wouldn't allow any of that... he   
ran to the edge of the pool, leaped up in   
the air, and was able to grab Sasha's   
shoulders.  
  
He reached over Sasha's hair with one   
hand, and could feel an electrical force   
go through his body.  
  
Amy rose out of the pool at the other   
end, to see that Greg was being shocked   
in one hand, and was tugging on Sasha   
with the other end.  
  
"Careful, Greg!" yelled Amy.  
  
Greg's teeth were clenched as he   
struggled to free his future daughter   
from the zapping force.  
  
All of a sudden... the electrical force   
stopped.  
  
Before Greg could notice, the momentum   
brought him and Sasha into the water.  
A part of the glass roof then shattered,   
and a blue figure dropped in.  
  
Greg rose out of the water... his body and   
clothes completely drenched... as he heard   
the figures first words...  
  
"I am Tortowaki, CHAMPION OF THE   
NEGAMOON!" she said. "By the darkness of   
the negamoon on my forehead, I will   
destroy the future daughter and princess   
of the planet Mercury!"  
  
Greg looked down at Sasha, who was in   
tears, her hair a total mess.  
  
He kissed Sasha on the cheek and said,   
"Hang tight, I'll be right with you."  
  
He passed her off to Amy, and then   
quickly turned back to Tortowaki.  
  
"REALLY?" yelled Greg. "Well then I have   
no choice but to huff and puff and blow   
you out of here!"  
  
Greg then noticed something floating in   
the water right in front of him...  
  
It was his Mercury dagger.  
  
Greg easily grabbed its handle.  
  
Perfect timing, he said to himself.  
  
Greg raised the dagger over his head, and   
yelled... still waist-deep in the water...   
"MERCURY KNIGHT POWER!"  
  
Once the transformation was complete,   
Tortowaki said, "Oh, poor Mercury Knight,   
soaking wet. Why don't you give up and   
I'll hang you out to dry!"  
  
Then all of a sudden, Mercury Knight   
sprung out of the water with tremendous   
force and speed... drew his sword... and   
slashed at Tortowaki's left arm.  
  
Tortowaki wailed in a painful response,   
while Mercury Knight touched down on   
terra firma.  
  
"I guess it helps when you happen to be   
from a planet that deals with water ALL   
THE TIME!" yelled Mercury Knight.  
  
"Oh..." said Tortowaki. "That doesn't   
matter to me at all!" she said,   
proceeding to send an electrical surge   
toward Mercury Knight.  
  
Before he knew it, Mercury Knight found   
himself being pulled toward Tortowaki,   
similar to one of those tractor beams in   
the sci-fi films.  
  
Mercury Knight grunted as the intense   
force was making his feet slide closer   
and closer to the youma.  
  
Meanwhile, Amy took Sasha back to the   
beginning of the pool, and the two of   
them ran onto the edge.  
  
Amy sprinted to her chair, and brought   
back her transformation pen and Sasha's   
locket.  
  
"Well, here comes your first test as an   
official member of the scouts," said Amy.  
  
"Come on, or else Greg will get hurt!"   
said Sasha.  
  
Amy raised her pen into the air, while   
Sasha opened her locket and raised it up.  
  
"MERCURY PRISM POWER!"  
"MERCURY STAR POWER!"  
  
Mercury Knight was now only a few feet   
from Tortowaki's wrath.  
  
He was trying to aim his sword at him,   
but the sword was wobbling back and   
forth, like a repellant of the electrical   
surge.  
  
"SHABON SPRAY FREEZING!"  
  
Mercury Knight flung back to the floor.   
He quickly got up... to see two females   
with familiar-looking hairstyles looking   
right at him.  
  
Mercury Knight smiled, and then turned   
back to Tortowaki. As Tortowaki was   
struggling to break out of the ice that   
encased her, Sailor Mercury and Sailor   
Mini Mercury went up to join Mercury   
Knight.  
  
Now able to freely maneuver his sword,   
Mercury Knight yelled, "Now you see what   
happens when you try to snatch my   
daughter! We fight right back at you! For   
love, justice, and swimming, we are the   
future royal family from the planet   
Mercury! I'M MERCURY KNIGHT! Thanks to   
you, I AM NOW THE DRIPPING-WET MERCURY   
KNIGHT! And don't you forget about that!"  
  
"Wet or dry, I am the pretty-suited   
sailor soldier of intelligence, SAILOR   
MERCURY!"  
  
"And I am their future daughter and   
princess, SAILOR MINI MERCURY! And on   
behalf of Mercury,"  
  
"WE SHALL PUNISH YOU!" said the three.  
  
They could barely hear Tortowaki's faint   
grunting from within the ice.  
  
"Ahh... yeah, I think she got the message,"   
said Mercury Knight.  
  
"I'll take my best shot!" said Sailor   
Mini Mercury, stepping forward.  
  
"SHABON FAN!"  
  
Immediately the waves of super cooled   
water began to form around Sailor Mini   
Mercury. The water shot directly at the   
ice that enclosed Tortowaki. It sealed   
the ice around her, all but guaranteeing   
that she wouldn't escape.  
  
The wind from Mini Mercury's Shabon Fan   
attack blew across Mercury Knight... drying   
his uniform up in an instant.  
  
"All right!" said Sailor Mercury. "It's   
time we put an end to your destructive   
crusade."  
  
"We're ready to take you down in the name   
of all that is good!" said Mini Mercury.  
  
"Knock, knock. Who's there?" said Mercury   
Knight, drawing his sword. "Lettuce.   
Lettuce who? Lettuce in and you'll find   
out! Well... we can't go in because you're   
all sealed up! And if that didn't crack   
you up, THIS WILL! MERCURY ICE BLADE!"  
  
"SHABON SPRAY!" yelled Sailor Mercury,   
forming a fog bubble.  
  
"SHABON FAN!" yelled Sailor Mini Mercury,   
starting to spin up the cold water once   
again.  
  
"PLANET ATTACK!" yelled Mercury Knight,   
whose sword began to glow a bright blue.   
"CHARGE!"  
  
The large ray of light burst forward from   
Mercury Knight's Ice Blade, while Sailor   
Mercury dispersed her fog bubble and   
Sailor Mini Mercury sent the cold water   
flying. The three danced together, until   
they were spiraling together at a   
tremendous speed toward Tortowaki.  
  
Tortowaki's yell was barely audible, as   
the Mercury Planet Attack struck the ice,   
shattering it and Tortowaki into   
thousands of pieces. Seconds later, the   
ice melted and evaporated.  
  
As Mercury Knight sheathed his sword,   
Sailor Mini Mercury hi-fived Sailor   
Mercury and jumped for joy. "We did it!   
We did it!" she cried.  
  
Sailor Mini Mercury jumped into the arms   
of her future mother.   
  
Sailor Mercury was all smiles, as she   
said, "That was your real first test as a   
Sailor Scout, and you've made me so   
proud!"  
  
Mercury Knight crouched down to Mini   
Mercury's level. "And you know what else,   
Sasha?" he said, "you've made your planet   
proud, too!"  
  
Mercury Knight felt vibes coming from   
inside him as he used his psychic   
thoughts... and Mini Mercury was starting   
to shed a tear.  
  
"I, uh... shouldn't have said that," said   
Mercury Knight. "I'm sorry. That reminded   
you of your friends, right?"  
  
"Mm-hmm," replied Mini Mercury in a low   
tone.  
  
"Well don't worry," said Mercury Knight,   
"'cause you've got friends right here.   
You've got me."  
  
"And you certainly have me," said Sailor   
Mercury.  
  
"Hey, don't forget thirteen others!" said   
Mars Knight.  
  
"Chad?" said Mercury Knight, turning his   
head to see everyone else that had just   
entered the training pool area: Sailor   
Moon, Sailor Mini Moon, Sailor Mars, Mars   
Knight, Sailor Jupiter, Jupiter Knight,   
Sailor Venus, Venus Knight, Sailor   
Uranus, Sailor Neptune, Luna and Artemis.  
  
"Hey, dude," said Mars Knight. "Looks   
like we missed all the fun."  
  
"How ya doing, kid?" asked Sailor Uranus.  
  
"Hi! I'm just fine, watch this!" said   
Mini Mercury as she de-transformed and   
jumped into the pool.  
  
"Sasha!" said surprised Sailor Mercury.  
  
Sasha was dog-paddling her way to the   
edge of the pool. When she got there, she   
said, "I never finished swimming. I want   
to swim all the way now."  
  
Mercury Knight looked at his good friend   
Venus Knight.  
  
"Well it's all right with me," said Venus   
Knight.  
  
"Hey, I'll lead the cheerleading   
committee!" said Sailor Venus.  
  
"Oh, you mean we'll root for Sasha!" said   
Sailor Moon.  
  
"But it's getting late," said Sailor Mini   
Moon. "Can I go to bed?"  
  
"Oh, Rini," said Sailor Mars. "Come on,   
just this one time for our new friend,   
huh?"  
  
"Come on, Sasha!" said Sailor Neptune.   
"If you can do this, you can race against   
me any time you want!"  
  
"Go Sasha!" said Sailor Jupiter. "Let's   
see some of that fighting spirit!"  
  
Everyone made their way to the opposite   
edge of the pool, except for Mercury   
Knight, who was off to one side to send   
Sasha off.  
  
"Ready Sasha?"  
  
"Ready, Greg!"  
  
"3.. 2.. 1.. GO!"  
  
Sasha made her way off of the pool's edge   
and began to make her way toward the   
other edge... but slowly at first.  
  
Meanwhile, everyone else was cheering her   
on and giving her support. Jupiter Knight   
even started a "SASHA!" chant at one   
point.  
  
About two-thirds of the way through,   
Sasha was pumping with her arms and legs...   
but wasn't moving.  
  
"Sasha's stationary," said Sailor   
Mercury.  
  
"She's turning into paper?" asked Sailor   
Moon.  
  
"No, stupid," replied Sailor Mars, "it   
means she's not moving!"  
  
"Oh," replied Sailor Moon with a   
sweatdrop.  
  
"Something's gone wrong," said Mercury   
Knight. "Sasha! Come on! Only about 15   
feet to go!"  
  
"Sasha, think positively, and you will   
overcome this!" said Tuxedo Mask.  
  
Sasha was grunting and struggling, trying   
to move through the water... but was   
unsuccessful.  
  
"Sasha's in trouble!" said Sailor   
Jupiter. "What do you want us to do about   
it, Greg?"  
  
Mercury Knight had to think of a   
solution... quick.  
  
"You got any ideas, Sailor Moon?"  
  
Sailor Moon shook her head. "Nuh-uh!"  
  
Mercury Knight looked back at Sasha.  
  
Then he had an idea.. a risky one.. that   
would probably do the trick.  
  
"Artemis," said Mercury Knight, "how do   
we get the girls to supercharge their   
powers to become the princesses of their   
respective planets?"  
  
"Supercharge powers?" said Artemis.   
"Whoa.. uh.. we've.. never tried that   
before. Luna, do you know how that is   
done?"  
  
"Greg, why do you want to do this?" asked   
Luna.  
  
Mercury Knight again looked at Sasha in   
the water, and then turned to Luna. "For   
E and E... Evaluation and Encouragement.   
Trust me on this one!"  
  
"There's another Greg-ism for ya," said   
Sailor Venus.  
  
"The sailor scouts would have to shout   
'ETERNAL -- whatever their planet is --   
POWER'. That should do the trick," said   
Luna.  
  
"All right," said Mercury Knight. "I need   
all of the scouts only to line up a bit   
from the edge here."  
  
Once they were lined up, Mercury Knight   
instructed them to yell out those words.  
  
"ETERNAL MOON POWER!" yelled Serena and   
Rini.  
"ETERNAL MARS POWER!"  
"ETERNAL JUPITER POWER!"  
"ETERNAL VENUS POWER!"  
"ETERNAL NEPTUNE POWER!"  
"ETERNAL URANUS POWER!"  
Sailor Mercury was last. "ETERNAL MERCURY   
POWER!"  
  
As they transformed, Mercury Knight   
looked at Sailor Uranus.  
  
I guess she actually wants to try a   
dress, he thought.  
  
When the transformations were complete,   
the sailors were dressed in beautiful and   
gorgeous gowns, flowing down to the   
floor. All of the princesses had the   
symbol of their planet glowing brightly   
on their foreheads... including the royal   
moon symbols on Serena and Rini's   
foreheads.  
  
"I'm feeling something," said Tuxedo   
Mask. Tuxedo Mask started to see his   
tuxedo rip and tear apart.. to reveal.. his   
uniform as Prince Endymion.  
  
For a few seconds, the princesses felt   
peaceful and serene.. until..  
  
"Wowie! This dress is so cool!" yelled   
Princess Serena.  
  
"Mine is better!" responded Princess   
Rini.  
  
Princess Raye stepped in between the two.   
"Aren't you two gook-heads forgetting   
something? We're TRYING TO SAVE SASHA!"  
  
"That's right," responded Mercury Knight,   
"and the way we're going to do this is by   
just standing here, and that's it."  
  
"That's it?" asked Princess Lita. "We're   
not going to cheer her on or anything?"  
  
"Well you can encourage her if you want,"   
responded Mercury Knight. "All right,   
let's see if this works... SASHA!"  
  
Sasha was barely able to get her head out   
of the water while still struggling to   
swim.  
  
Then.. she saw some people that looked   
very familiar.  
  
She stopped swimming and floated as she   
saw the girls standing in a straight   
line.. girls that she once knew in the 31st   
Century.  
  
"Sasha, do any of these princesses look   
familiar to you?" said Mercury Knight. "I   
know that this is really the 21st century,   
but maybe if we dressed like your friends   
from the 31st century, you'd be strong   
enough to finish."  
  
Sasha looked at Princess Serena and   
Princess Rini, doffed in their bright   
white gowns.  
  
She looked at Princess Raye, wearing a   
white gown with red trims.  
  
She looked at Princess Lita, who was in a   
green gown, Mina in an orange and yellow   
gown, Princess Amara in a black gown with   
gold trim, Princess Michelle in a blue   
and green gown...  
  
And she saw the light blue gown of her   
future mother... Princess Amy... who was   
blowing a kiss to her.  
  
Without any further hesitation, Sasha   
began to swim as if the previous tries   
were miniscule. She was really making   
some progress now... and fast.  
  
Before anyone knew it, she was only a few   
feet from the edge.  
  
All of the knights and princesses.. and   
yes, even the cats.. were all shouting out   
encouraging words..  
  
Words that turned into cheers when Sasha   
finally hit the edge.  
  
A smiling Mercury Knight was about to   
reach into the water to pick up Sasha..   
when all of a sudden he saw ripples of   
water gather strongly around her in the   
pool  
  
Then the water shot into the air,   
wrapping around Sasha.  
  
Jupiter Knight told everyone to get back   
a few feet, which they did.  
  
The area of water began to grow and grow,   
even cutting over the edge of the pool.  
  
When the water dissipated, a dry and   
beautiful Sasha.. in a blue and white   
dress with the Mercury symbol on her   
forehead, stood there.  
  
"Hi everyone!" said Princess Sasha.  
  
Princess Amy immediately stepped forward   
and lifted up Sasha to give her a big   
hug. Mercury Knight also shared in the   
embrace.  
  
"Well, that worked," said Prince   
Endymion.  
  
"Yeah, kudos to you, Greg," said Venus   
Knight, "you knew just what to do --   
AGAIN..."  
  
"Thank you Greg," said Princess Amy, "and   
thank you everyone, for helping us."  
  
"You're now an official sailor scout   
graduate, at least I think," said Sailor   
Mars.  
  
"I think so too!" said Princess Mina.  
  
"Everyone probably thinks that," said   
Princess Raye.  
  
As the others looked on, Princess Sasha   
said, "I have been praying softly that I   
would see all of my friends again... and   
you have all helped to make my wish come   
true."  
  
Everyone smiled at that comment.  
  
"Well," said Princess Serena, "why don't   
we all celebrate this joyous occasion by   
getting out of our dresses and uniforms   
and going to see Andrew for some large   
bowls of..."  
  
"VANILLA AND CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM!" yelled   
Princess Sasha.  
  
Serena and Rini's eyes shrunk. "How do   
you know that..." they said.  
  
Princess Sasha turned to Mercury Knight.   
"Yep... they always got that from where I   
came from. You know what that means,   
right?"  
  
"No, what?" said Mercury Knight.  
  
Princess Sasha whispered into his ear:   
"Everything is JUST FINE."  
  
Mercury Knight smiled, and whispered   
those words into Princess Amy's ear.   
Amy's face lit up when she heard them.  
  
The entire sailor team very happy with   
Princess Sasha's performance, they all   
de-transformed and headed to the Crown   
parlor for a much-deserved reward of   
dessert.  
  
Serena and Rini decided to have about   
five or six rewards...  
  
************************  
End of Chapter 20  
  
Greg is now ready to welcome Sasha to the   
Urawa household.  
  
Are there any surprises in store for her?  
Or Greg? Or Amy? Or even Greg's dad?  
  
Find out in Chapter 21 of The Saga of Mercury. 


	21. In The Name Of Mercury

Visit the NEW WEB SITE for The Saga of Mercury!  
You can view two drawings by Anime artist Scortia and  
download chapters in PDF format by visiting:  
http://members.aol.com/jrhorse98/sagaofmercury/index.html  
and clicking on the "Graphics" link.  
  
You can also view these chapters at:  
http://www.fanfiction.net  
http://www.moonromance.net  
http://www.mediaminer.org/fanfic  
http://www.fandomination.net  
http://www.efanfiction.net  
  
Chapters are also posted weekly at the Sailor Moon newsgroup:  
news:alt.fan.sailor-moon  
  
**********  
DISCLAIMER  
  
As usual, "Sailor Moon" and all related characters  
are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, TOEI  
Animation and other agencies.  
  
The Saga of Mercury story is copyrighted by me, however  
content in some chapters is based on the Mercury  
Knight Stories as described in the Chapter 1 Introduction.  
**********  
  
  
The Saga of Mercury  
Chapter 21  
In the Name of Mercury  
  
Greg stepped up to the porch, put the key   
into the hole, and opened the front door.  
  
"Welcome to the 21st century Urawa   
household, Sasha!" he said.  
  
Sasha beamed a smile as she, Amy and Greg   
stepped into the house.  
  
Inside in the kitchen, Mr. Urawa was   
fixing up dinner when his attention was   
drawn to the three.  
  
"Hi everyone!" said Mr. Urawa.  
  
"Hello dad!" said Greg.  
  
"Good evening, Mr. Urawa," said Amy.  
  
"Hi!" said Sasha.  
  
Mr. Urawa took off his cooking gloves and   
walked over to Sasha.  
  
"Did you enjoy the bus ride?" he asked.  
  
"Yes very much, thank you!" she replied.  
  
Mr. Urawa turned to Amy. "Are you staying   
for dinner?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, I'll be here for a few hours, then   
I'm going to the train station," Amy   
responded.  
  
"Sasha and I will walk her over," said   
Greg.  
  
"Oh, don't worry about it," said Mr.   
Urawa. "I'll drive you guys over there,   
it's no problem with me."  
  
"Ames?" said Greg.  
  
"Fine with me," said Amy.  
  
"Great, thank you," said Greg.  
  
"Very well then!" said Mr. Urawa. "Dinner   
is just about ready. I have a small   
turkey here that I've just finished   
roasting. It has gravy sauce and   
cranberry jam. It's a popular food in   
America when they celebrate Thanksgiving   
and Christmas."  
  
"Great!" said Sasha.  
  
"Sasha," said Greg, "you don't know how   
good of a job my dad does at cooking..."  
  
"Oh don't say that!" responded Mr. Urawa.   
"I just try my best, that's all."  
  
With that, the quartet sat down and   
enjoyed a nice, filling meal of turkey.  
  
After they finished, they went into the   
den.  
  
"Sasha," said Mr. Urawa, "would you like   
me to show you the rest of the house?"  
  
"All right," said Sasha, turning to Amy.   
"Is it all right, Amy?"  
  
"Go ahead," said Amy.  
  
"You and Greg can stay here and turn on   
the television... The seventh day of the   
sumo basho is on right now," said Mr.   
Urawa.  
  
With that Mr. Urawa and Sasha stepped   
out...  
  
Which left just Amy and Greg in the den.  
  
Greg walked over to the middle of the   
wide couch facing the television, took   
the remote control, turned on the   
television, and sat down.  
  
Amy sat down as well... on Greg's lap.  
  
"Whoa, uh, Amy, wha..."  
  
Amy wrapped her left arm around Greg, and   
put her right index finger over his lips.   
"Ssssh... you know, there's something that   
I've wanted to tell you."  
  
"Hmm..." said Greg, turning down the volume   
with the remote. "What is it, Ames?"  
  
"Well, I look back on all the years of my   
life," said Amy, running her fingers   
through Greg's hair. "Especially the time   
that I've spent in school, and on being a   
sailor scout... and I've never, ever, had   
any free time or any time for a social   
life... that is, until I met you, Greg.   
From the first day that I met you in   
school when you first transferred over...   
you've opened up a whole new world for   
me. So..." she said, wrapping her other arm   
around Greg, "I just wanted to say... Thank   
you."  
  
Amy smiled... and after a few moments, Greg   
followed suit.   
  
"Amy," Greg said, stroking Amy's hair, "I   
am so glad that the two of us are   
destined to be together, forever... you   
know, they say that in order to have a   
true relationship, you have to love a   
person on the outside, and on the inside...   
for example... you Amy."  
  
Amy giggled and blushed.  
  
"I'm telling the truth here, Amy," Greg   
continued. "You are the most beautiful   
and gorgeous person I have had the honor   
of knowing. You are so pretty on the   
outside, accentuated by your blue hair...   
and you are knowledgeable and intelligent   
on the inside."  
  
Amy pulled Greg closer to her.   
"Knowledgeable and intelligent.. then.."   
she said, closing her eyes, "why am I   
doing this..."  
  
Greg closed his eyes.  
  
Their lips were only millimeters apart..   
when they heard the phone ring.  
  
Greg opened his eyes, looked at Amy's   
eyes that were also open at this point,   
and let out a huge sigh.  
  
Greg reached over to answer the phone.  
  
"Hello? ... Darien, what's up? .. yep ..   
uh-huh .. yeah, we're all set for tomorrow.   
Uh-huh .. they'll be... all right! Yep, see   
you then... bye."  
  
"Darien was checking up on tomorrow?"   
said Amy, arms still around Greg.  
  
"Yeah, wanted to make sure Sasha's   
surprise was... all... set..." Greg said,   
slowing down his speech as his eyes   
locked with Amy's. "Now, where were we..."  
  
Amy said, "right about here..."  
  
Amy and Greg inched together and closed   
their eyes.  
  
"And that's the tour of the Urawa   
household! Glad you enjoyed it, Sasha!"  
  
Amy and Greg opened their eyes, and   
quickly repositioned themselves on the   
couch, one neatly sitting next to the   
other. Greg immediately turned up the   
volume on the TV.  
  
"Wow, what a charge!" said Greg, as Sasha   
and Mr. Urawa re-entered the den.  
  
"How's the sumo going?" Mr. Urawa asked   
Greg.  
  
"Ah, they haven't gotten to the good   
matches yet," said Greg.  
  
"No, they start in another few minutes,"   
said Amy.  
  
"Oh, well," said Mr. Urawa.  
  
Sasha ran around the couch and sat down   
next to Greg and Amy.  
  
"Sumo wrestling is very interesting,"   
said Sasha.  
  
"Well, it's a sport that's been popular   
in Japan for centuries. In fact, we can   
trace it back to more than 2,000 years   
ago, back when..."  
  
An announcer on the television   
interrupted Greg.  
  
"We interrupt this program to bring you   
the following special news bulletin.   
Apparently, a monster has broken through   
into the Roppongi district and is   
wreaking havoc on Tokyo's popular   
nightspot. The fire department is   
responding to several fires that have   
apparently been set by this monster, and   
the police, as per usual, are saying that   
the only ones who can stop this   
destruction are Sailor Moon and her team   
of sailors and knights... none of which   
have been spotted in the area as of yet.   
We will keep you posted on further   
developments."  
  
Amy, Greg and Sasha looked at each other,   
and nodded their heads.  
  
"Oh, crap!" yelled Greg. "Amy's train   
comes in only ten minutes! I forgot all   
about it!"  
  
Amy looked at her watch and gasped.   
"You're right... the next train won't leave   
until after midnight!"  
  
"Ok, calm down guys... gee you should have   
told me about this earlier," said Mr.   
Urawa. "Don't worry, let's jump into the   
car now and head on over there."  
  
"All right," said Sasha.  
  
The four jumped into the car, and Mr.   
Urawa sped over to the entrance of the   
train station.  
  
As Amy, Greg and Sasha stepped out of the   
car, Mr. Urawa suddenly realized... "Holy   
smokes! I left the cake I was baking in   
the oven! I... I gotta run back home before   
the house burns down!"  
  
"Oh boy, uh... don't worry," said Greg,   
"Sasha and I will walk back. I'll make   
sure I've got a good eye on her."  
  
"All right then, Amy, safe ride, and   
guys, see you later!" Mr. Urawa said as   
he sped away.  
  
Amy held Sasha's hand as the three ran up   
the steps to the train platform.  
  
The platform was completely empty,   
because...  
  
"The next train comes in 45 minutes... good   
way to get out of that situation," said   
Greg.  
  
"Well, I'm amazed that I actually lied...   
there are few times that I do that," said   
Amy.  
  
"Are we going after that monster?" asked   
Sasha. "How are we going to get to it?"  
  
"Transform first, then I'll tell ya,"   
said Greg.  
  
Sasha opened her locket, Amy took out her   
transformation stick, and Greg took out   
his dagger.   
  
Greg looked around a final time...  
  
"Good to go, ladies, let's do it!"  
  
"MERCURY STAR POWER!"  
"MERCURY PRISM POWER!"  
"MERCURY KNIGHT POWER!"  
  
The three appeared to be one as they   
transformed, surrounded by showering   
bubbles and light, into Sailor Mercury,   
Sailor Mini Mercury and Mercury Knight.  
  
"Now," said Mercury Knight, "do you   
remember that sometimes, to go somewhere,   
the three of us would get together and do   
something called a Mercury Teleport?"  
  
"Oh, yeah!" said Sailor Mini Mercury. "I   
remember that! But I haven't done it in a   
while..."  
  
"Let's join hands and try it, then," said   
Sailor Mercury.  
  
The three joined hands where they stood.  
  
"All right," said Mercury Knight. "Close   
your eyes and concentrate..."  
  
The three closed their eyes...  
  
They concentrated...  
  
Soon, a bright, blue ray of light began   
to surround them, and the wind began to   
gust up.. but they weren't fazed as they   
suddenly found themselves in the air.. and   
down on the ground, only a short distance   
away from where the youma was.  
  
"All right," said Sailor Mini Mercury,   
"let's get him!"  
  
"Hold it," said Mercury Knight,   
restraining her. "We've got to analyze   
this first."  
  
  
"Are you going to use your computers?"   
said Sailor Mini Mercury.  
  
"This should answer your question," said   
Sailor Mercury, as she and Mercury Knight   
joined hands, activating their super VR   
visors.  
  
They zoomed in to get a closer look at   
the youma with the goggles.  
  
The youma had a dark, red body with   
orange hair, with a dark, black cloak. It   
was shooting streams of fire out of its   
mouth. Some bystanders nearby were   
running away in panic.  
  
"Guess we're the first ones here," said   
Mercury Knight.  
  
"All right, let's go as close as we can,"   
said Sailor Mercury.  
  
The three of them walked, Mercury Knight   
in front and the ladies behind, inch by   
inch toward the monster.  
  
At the right moment, the three of them   
stood together in a line.  
  
Mercury Knight was about to speak, when...  
  
"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" said Sailor Mini   
Mercury.  
  
The monster turned his head toward Sailor   
Mini Mercury.  
  
So did Sailor Mercury and Mercury Knight.  
  
"Stop what you are doing right now! You   
are causing devastation to a popular area   
in this city, and we will not allow it!   
We are the forces of Ice! I AM SAILOR   
MINI MERCURY!"  
  
"I am the pretty-suited Sailor Soldier of   
Intelligence and protector of water,   
SAILOR MERCURY!"  
  
"And I make sure I never let my future   
daughter and future wife out of my   
sights! I AM MERCURY KNIGHT, and don't   
you forget about that!"  
  
"AND ON BEHALF OF MERCURY, I SHALL PUNISH   
YOU!" yelled Sailor Mini Mercury.  
  
"WE WILL TOO!" said Sailor Mercury and   
Mercury Knight.  
  
"I am Atsugi!" said the monster in a low,   
masculine voice.  
  
"Atsugi?" said Mercury Knight.   
"Interesting name for someone like you."  
  
"I have something to show you... allow me   
to open up for you to see!"  
  
Atsugi opened up his black cloak, which   
spread across for quite a bit.  
  
The three from Mercury gasped.  
  
Shown wrapped up, unconscious within the   
cloak, were Tuxedo Mask, Sailor Mini   
Moon, Sailor Mars, Mars Knight, Sailor   
Jupiter, Jupiter Knight, Sailor Venus,   
Venus Knight, Sailor Uranus and Sailor   
Neptune.  
  
"They must have gotten here first then,"   
said Mercury Knight.  
  
"What have you done to our friends?"   
asked Sailor Mercury.  
  
"They just got in my way of stealing   
precious energy, so I had no choice but   
to take them as my own prisoners," said   
Atsugi.  
  
Mini Mercury was looking at everyone in   
Atsugi's grasp. But then noticed   
something. "Where's Sailor Moon?"  
  
"Ergh... uh..."  
  
Sailor Mini Mercury turned around when   
she heard the groaning, and looked to the   
ground a short distance away.  
  
"SAILOR MOON!"  
  
Sailor Mini Mercury and Sailor Mercury   
ran over to Sailor Moon, who was all cut   
up and bruised on the ground.  
  
Mercury Knight, meanwhile, still stood in   
the presence of the red monster.  
  
"Well, since your girls are tending to   
that weird looking blond, you're first!"   
Atsugi said, opening his mouth and   
shooting a fireball straight at Mercury   
Knight.  
  
Mercury Knight wasted no time: "MERCURY   
ICE SHIELD!" he yelled, activating the   
Ice Shield, and deflecting the fireball   
up into the sky.  
  
The Ice Shield was still up as Sailor   
Mercury, Sailor Moon and Sailor Mini   
Mercury made their way behind Mercury   
Knight.  
  
Mercury Knight took this opportunity to   
activate his computer visor once more.   
The visor was able to pick something up   
on Atsugi's chest.  
  
"NOW!" said Atsugi. "Sailor Moon!   
Surrender your Spiral Rod now! Or your   
friends will die!"  
  
Sailor Moon was now scrambling to figure   
out what to do.  
  
"Hey, do you see a flower on that guy's   
chest?" said Mercury Knight.  
  
There was a closed, light-pink flower   
over Atsugi's left chest.  
  
"My visor is picking it up as a.. oh, no.."  
  
"What is it?" said Sailor Mercury.  
  
"It's.. a Kisenian flower!"  
  
Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury gasped.   
The words 'Kisenian flower' triggered   
thoughts in their heads that went back to   
their battle with Fiore several years   
ago.  
  
"What's a Kiss.. Kissa.." started Sailor   
Mini Mercury.  
  
"Sssh," said Mercury Knight. "You don't   
wanna know."  
  
"That's right," said a horrific feminine   
voice emanating from around Atsugi. "You   
DON'T WANT TO KNOW... hee, hee, hee, haa,   
haa!"  
  
The flower petal opened up to reveal the   
Kisenian.  
  
"Remember me?" said Kisenian. "The one   
that you got rid of a while back? Well,   
here I am! Seems that Sorinya had an   
extra flower of mine, and she's putting   
it to great use! Now, Atsugi, on with   
your orders!"  
  
"Yes, Kisenian. So, what's it gonna be,   
Sailor Moon? Your Spiral Rod.. or your   
friends??"  
  
Sailor Moon did remember when she dealt   
with Fiore. She remembered what she did   
in a situation like this.. and she knew   
what she had to do now.  
  
She took the Spiral Rod out...  
  
And dropped it on the ground in front of   
her.  
  
"You win," said Sailor Moon.  
  
Sailor Mercury looked at Sailor Moon.  
  
Mercury Knight deactivated his shield,   
and took out his sword. "I'll ante in,"   
he said, tossing his sword to the ground.  
  
"This is just like before.. I.. I can't let   
go of my friends.." said Sailor Moon. "My   
friends are the most important things to   
me.. I might not be smart in school, but   
I'm smart enough to know that when the   
going gets tough, I have friends.. here   
standing besides me.. and over there, with   
you. I don't want my friends to get   
hurt.."  
  
"I never knew you cared about them so   
much..." said Atsugi.  
  
Kisenian then had enough of this. "Oooh!   
First Fiore, now you! I'll just have to   
eliminate Sailor Moon myself!"  
  
With that, the Kisenian separated itself   
from Atsugi and formed in front of him,   
standing on what appeared to be plant-  
like crab legs.  
  
Atsugi, on the other hand, changed   
appearance into a man with a business   
suit, and collapsed on the floor. The   
huge black cloak vanished, and the other   
sailors and knights that were caught in   
it fell onto the ground as well. They   
began to come around as Kisenian made her   
way to Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury,   
Mercury Knight and Sailor Mini Mercury.  
  
Sailor Moon immediately picked up her   
Spiral Rod and attempted a Moon Spiral   
Heart Attack... but it didn't work.  
  
Sailor Mini Moon tried her Shabon Fan...   
but it was useless.  
  
Mercury Knight knew that it probably   
wouldn't work, but he tried a Mercury Ice   
Blade Charge attack anyway... and as   
expected, it failed.  
  
Which left Sailor Mercury, the soldier of   
intelligence, to make a big decision in   
her mind.  
  
"Sailor Moon, the only way to defeat the   
Kisenian is to use your Silver Crystal..   
but you are too weak to use it.."  
  
"I don't feel weak..." said Sailor Moon.  
  
"NO," responded Sailor Mercury, "you have   
to save your strength... while I will try   
the next best thing."  
  
"The next best thing?" said Mercury   
Knight. "What could be second to the   
Silver Crystal?"  
  
Sailor Mercury looked down at her Scout   
Ring. "A certain blue crystal," she   
responded.  
  
Which set off alarms in Mercury Knight's   
head. "Amy... DON'T!" he yelled.  
  
Sailor Mercury raised the Scout Ring in   
the air and yelled "ETERNAL MERCURY   
POWER!"  
  
A gusty wind began to pick up and   
surround Sailor Mercury, as the other   
scouts that were caught up in the black   
cloak made their way to Sailor Moon,   
Mercury Knight and Sailor Mini Mercury.  
  
Rays of white and blue light began to   
surround Sailor Mercury... as she became   
Princess Amy.  
  
The princess was in her long, blue gown,   
with the Mercury symbol glowing on her   
forehead.  
  
"Oh, Princess Amy! Well," said Kisenian,   
"Queen Sorinya has had a large interest   
in you... might as well finish the task   
that she already started!"  
  
"No, you wont," said Princess Amy, a   
large blue crystal floating around her   
hands.  
  
"The Planet Crystal!" yelled Sailor Mini   
Mercury.  
  
"So I guess THAT's second to the Silver   
Crystal," said Mars Knight. "Wait, Ames!"  
  
"Don't... don't do it!" said a shaky Sailor   
Moon.  
  
"It's too dangerous!" said Venus Knight,   
alert and reviving the others.  
  
"In the name of Mercury..." said Princess   
Amy.. "This.. is for my friends.. for   
Sasha... for Greg... and for the future...   
MERCURY POWER!"  
  
As Kisenian was launching a thunderous   
energy attack toward Princess Amy, the   
princess unleashed the power of the   
Mercury Planet Crystal.  
  
It was a very strong force.. which sent   
out bubbles and lightning toward the   
incoming energy attack.  
  
The two attacks collided mid-way, and it   
was a push and shove match between the   
two forces.  
  
Kisenian's attack was starting to get the   
upper hand... but the Princess was starting   
to fight back harder and harder.  
  
Mercury Knight had enough. "I'm going to   
go help her," he said.  
  
But before he could act, the Princess'   
attack made it all the way to Kisenian,   
who yelled as the attack froze her and   
shattered her into many pieces.  
  
At that instant, the power of the Mercury   
Planet Crystal expired...  
  
And so did Princess Amy, her lifeless,   
limp body collapsing onto the asphalt   
pavement.  
  
"NO!" yelled Mercury Knight.  
  
"MOMMY!" cried Sailor Mini Mercury.  
  
"AMY!" cried Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars.  
  
Mercury Knight immediately snapped, "Ken,   
hold Sasha!"  
  
Jupiter Knight held on to Sasha as the   
others scrambled over to the body of the   
Princess.  
  
Mercury Knight flipped the princess' body   
on its back. He saw Amy's pale skin and   
face, with the Mercury symbol gone from   
her forehead, and tried to awaken her by   
shaking her shoulders.  
  
"No, no, no, NO, NO!!" he yelled.,   
checking for a pulse and starting   
emergency CPR. After a few moments' worth   
of CPR, which didn't help at all, he   
cried out, "Don't do this to me! DON'T DO   
THIS TO ME! DON'T.. AMY.. DON'T DO THIS.."   
he said before finally breaking down, his   
head falling onto the princess' chest.  
  
Sailor Jupiter covered her mouth and   
tried not to cry.  
  
"Oh, God," said Sailor Mars through   
tears.  
  
"Why..." said Sailor Venus.  
  
Sailors Uranus and Neptune were in shock.   
"I'm sorry, Greg..." said Sailor Neptune.  
  
Mercury Knight looked up at Sailor   
Neptune, nodded his head, and looked back   
at what was supposed to be the   
intelligent girl.. his girlfriend.. his   
future wife... and the future co-ruler of   
Mercury.  
  
Through the tears, the memories were   
coming back.   
  
He was starting to remember all of the   
good times he had with her.  
  
The time they met in school...  
  
The time they first spoke to each other...  
  
Their first date...  
  
Their first kiss at the train station...  
  
Their first battle together...  
  
The discovery of Sasha as their future   
daughter...  
  
And he remembered what she said earlier   
in the day...  
  
"I've never, ever, had any free time or   
any time for a social life... that is,   
until I met you, Greg. From the first day   
that I met you in school when you first   
transferred over... you've opened up a   
whole new world for me..."  
  
"Amy, I am so glad that the two of us are   
destined to be together, forever... you   
know, they say that in order to have a   
true relationship, you have to love a   
person on the outside, and on the inside...   
I'm telling the truth here, Amy... You are   
the most beautiful and gorgeous person I   
have had the honor of knowing. You are so   
pretty on the outside, accentuated by   
your blue hair... and you are knowledgeable   
and intelligent on the inside."  
  
The outside and the inside, he said to   
himself... the symbol of true love...  
  
"I have to do something to Amy," Mercury   
Knight said to the others.  
  
"Why do you want to do anything," said   
Mars Knight. "It doesn't matter now,   
she's already dead!"  
  
Mercury Knight looked up at Mars Knight,   
straight in the eyes.  
  
"Chad," said Mercury Knight, "do you   
believe in love?"  
  
Mars Knight was puzzled at Mercury   
Knight's question, unsure of how to   
respond.  
  
"Love means to hold dear," said Mercury   
Knight. "To feel devotion or tenderness,   
to like or desire actively, to thrive in...   
I'm sure that all of you have your kinds   
of love, especially toward each other.   
Well, I for one really believe in it. I   
really believe in love. I was taught once   
that in order to love, there are two   
qualities you much search for... external   
properties and internal properties. The   
outside, and the inside.  
  
"I love each and every one of you. All of   
you have your special talents that make   
each of you individuals.. and make me   
proud to fight alongside you. I love all   
of you.. I love Sasha.. and I love Amy. Amy   
is a part of me... always has been, and   
always will be...  
  
"Which is why I am confident," he said,   
lifting the princess' body into his arms,   
"that I can bring her back, with nothing   
but true love."  
  
The sailors and knights that were   
standing around him thought about and   
reflected on Mercury Knight's words.  
  
"I'm with you," said Sailor Moon.  
  
"I'm not your girlfriend, but I love you,   
and everyone," said Sailor Venus.  
  
"I love you, Greg!" said Jupiter Knight,   
still with Sailor Mini Mercury, who   
shouted, "I love you, daddy!"  
  
"We love you," said Sailors Uranus and   
Neptune.  
  
"We shall share our love for each other   
as we try to bring back Amy," said Sailor   
Mars.  
  
"I think that's the way to do it," said   
Mars Knight.  
  
"Let's all concentrate," said Sailor   
Jupiter.  
  
"I'm ready," said Venus Knight.  
  
Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Mini Moon also   
showed their approval.  
  
"Ok then," said Mercury Knight. "Everyone   
focus your love now on Amy, as we try to   
bring her back."  
  
Mercury Knight lifted Princess Amy's head   
to his.  
  
He whispered... "I love you..." and kissed   
her.  
  
As he kissed her, the winds began to pick   
up yet again. Everyone else stood firm as   
they focused their love to Amy.  
  
Mercury Knight still had his lips pressed   
on those of Princess Amy's...  
  
Until he felt that his lips were being   
pressed back...  
  
As Princess Amy awoke and wrapped her   
arms around her knight.  
  
The Mercury symbols on their foreheads   
were now shining brighter than ever   
before.  
  
Sailor Uranus smiled at the sight. So did   
Tuxedo Mask, Sailor Neptune, Sailor Moon   
and Mars Knight. Sailors Mars, Jupiter,   
Venus and Mini Moon were shedding tears   
of joy.  
  
Venus Knight called to Jupiter Knight.   
"Let her come over!" he said.  
  
Jupiter Knight let go of Sailor Mini   
Mercury, and the two of them ran over.  
  
Princess Amy and Mercury Knight broke   
their kiss, stared at each other, and   
smiled.  
  
"Thank... thank you..." uttered Princess   
Amy, "for sharing your love... and saving   
my life..."  
  
"You saved all our lives," said Sailor   
Moon. "Thank you for being a true pal and   
a great friend."  
  
Princess Amy was almost startled as   
Sailor Mini Mercury ran to her future   
mother and gave her a great big hug.  
  
"Here's to Princess Amy!" she yelled.   
"Hip, hip..."  
  
"HOORAY!" yelled everyone.  
  
  
Meanwhile, back in the Negaverse...  
  
"Oooh, those Kisenian flowers are nothing   
but crap!" said Sorinya. "I'll have the   
ones that are left burned.. but make no   
mistake... my quest to dominate the   
universe AND capture Sailor Mercury is   
NOT OVER!! HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!  
  
  
Sailor Mini Mercury and Mercury Knight   
faced Sailor Mercury on a quiet street in   
front of the Mizuno residence.  
  
"Well, I'd say it was.. a successful job   
tonight," said Sailor Mercury.  
  
"But we almost lost you.. to.. to be   
honest.. I... almost lost you," said   
Mercury Knight. "But you came through   
for us. Thanks."  
  
"Thank you Amy for your help!" said   
Sailor Mini Mercury.  
  
"And don't forget, we've got plans   
tomorrow, all three of us, and a few   
other friends," said Mercury Knight.  
  
"We do?" asked Sailor Mini Mercury.  
  
"Yep, but it's a surprise. You'll have to   
wait until tomorrow," said Mercury   
Knight.  
  
Turning his attention back to Sailor   
Mercury, Mercury Knight said, "Well..."  
  
"Well..." said Sailor Mercury.  
  
The two stared at each other for a few   
seconds, before reaching forward for a   
parting goodnight kiss.  
  
"Till tomorrow," said Sailor Mercury.  
  
"See you then," said Mercury Knight.  
  
"Bye!" said Sailor Mini Mercury.  
  
"Ok, ready to teleport Sasha? One, two,   
three!"  
  
A trail of blue light was left behind   
Mercury Knight and Sailor Mini Mercury as   
they streaked into the sky.  
  
Sailor Mercury looked up at the sky,   
smiled, and went back into her house.  
  
  
When they got back to the Urawa   
household, Mercury Knight and Sailor Mini   
Mercury de-transformed.  
  
As that happened, Greg was expecting to   
get his Mercury Dagger back for safe   
keeping... but he didn't expect to get   
back...  
  
"A cell phone?" said a surprised Greg.  
  
It was a flip phone with a blue exterior,   
and a blue LCD screen inside. He pressed   
a button, and instantly the cell phone   
lit up a bright blue.  
  
The screen showed he had one voice   
message, and it showed instructions on   
how to retrieve it.  
  
"Wow, I don't know what this is for,"   
said Greg.  
  
"Maybe it's a present?" asked Sasha.  
  
"Who knows," said Greg as he entered the   
house.  
  
Mr. Urawa was in the den, and yelled as   
he was watching the sumo, "Amy got on the   
train all right?"   
  
"Yep," responded Greg. "I'm tucking in   
Sasha now." He turned to Sasha. "You get   
dressed and I'll see you in your room to   
tuck you in."  
  
As Sasha ran to get dressed, Greg entered   
the new room that would be Sasha's on the   
weekends. He punched in a code and   
retrieved his voice mail.  
  
"Greetings, Greg," said a familiar voice.   
"This is Artemis speaking. Luna and I   
just wanted to thank you for all of your   
help today in destroying the Kisenian   
flower, and for proving that true love is   
really something to be cherished. And as   
recognition for all of your hard work,   
you and the knights are getting equipment   
upgrades. From now on, your daggers will   
be concealed as regular looking cell   
phones. These phones will be your new   
communication tools for talking to the   
other members of the sailor team. And   
when the time comes to transform, the   
phones will change back into your   
daggers, allowing you to complete the   
transformation. Again, thanks for all   
your help. Say hello to Sasha! Good   
night..."  
  
Greg smiled. He decided to save the   
message, rather than delete it.  
  
  
In Sasha's new room, Greg was tucking   
Sasha in.  
  
"Phew!" said Greg. "What a day."  
  
"I'm glad it's all over... and I'm looking   
forward to tomorrow very much," said   
Sasha.  
  
"That's great. Well..."  
  
"Greg, I remember what you said about Amy   
today... and, uh..."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Do you love me?"  
  
"Love you?" Greg smiled. "Of course," he   
said, hugging Sasha. "You've just become   
a very important part of my life... I love   
you a lot, and as I said before, I won't   
let you, or Amy, out of my sights, ever."  
  
Sasha's eyes were starting to close from   
being sleepy.  
  
"Ooh, ok, better pull up the covers   
here," said Greg, doing just that.  
  
Greg kissed Sasha on the forehead. "Good   
night, Sasha."  
  
Sasha kissed Greg on the cheek. "Good   
night, Greg."  
  
Greg walked to the door and turned off   
the wall light.  
  
"Sweet dreams," said Greg, as he left and   
closed the door.  
  
With a long and eventful day now over,   
Sasha smiled... closed her eyes... hoped for   
sweet dreams during the night... and fell   
fast asleep.  
  
  
*********************************  
End of Chapter 21  
  
What is in store for Sasha tomorrow?  
  
Find out in Chapter 22 of The Saga of Mercury. 


	22. The Kyoto Day Trip

Visit the NEW WEB SITE for The Saga of Mercury!  
You can view two drawings by Anime artist Scortia and  
download chapters in PDF format by visiting:  
http://members.aol.com/jrhorse98/sagaofmercury/index.html  
and clicking on the "Graphics" link.  
  
You can also view these chapters at:  
http://www.fanfiction.net  
http://www.moonromance.net  
http://www.mediaminer.org/fanfic  
http://www.fandomination.net  
http://www.efanfiction.net  
http://www.soupfiction.net  
  
Chapters are also posted weekly at the Sailor Moon newsgroup:  
news:alt.fan.sailor-moon  
  
**********  
DISCLAIMER  
  
As usual, "Sailor Moon" and all related characters  
are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, TOEI  
Animation and other agencies.  
  
The Saga of Mercury story is copyrighted by me, however  
content in some chapters is based on the Mercury  
Knight Stories as described in the Chapter 1 Introduction.  
**********  
  
The Saga of Mercury  
Chapter 22   
The Kyoto Day Trip  
  
Sasha stepped out of the bathroom, donned   
in a white blouse, purple dress, knee-  
high socks and black-laced shoes, ready   
for what was in store for her today.  
  
Sasha walked downstairs and into the   
living room.  
  
"Gooood morning!" said Greg, who was   
wearing a yellow shirt and dark pants,   
his brand new cell phone attached to his   
belt.  
  
Sasha smiled when she found Greg, Amy and   
Mr. Urawa in the living room, along with   
some other familiar faces...  
  
Serena, Darien and Rini.  
  
Rini, in her nice blue dress, ran up to   
Sasha to greet her.  
  
"Surprise!" Rini said to Sasha.  
  
"Hi, Rini, you look nice!" said Sasha.  
  
"Both of you look very nice," said   
Darien, in his green Earth t-shirt and   
denim jeans.  
  
"All of you guys are set, I guess?" asked   
Mr. Urawa.  
  
"Uh... ya, I think so," replied Serena, in   
her pink shirt, white vest and long pink   
dress, "to, uh... where are we going?"  
  
Amy, in a blue shirt, half-length black   
pants, white stockings and a stylish   
yellow jacket, looked at Greg. "Serena   
doesn't know where we're going?"  
  
Greg looked at Darien.  
  
"Nope... Serena doesn't know, Rini doesn't   
know, and of course Sasha doesn't know,   
right?"  
  
Greg nodded his head. "But why didn't you   
tell your girls?"  
  
"I wanted to surprise them, too,"   
responded Darien.  
  
"Aw, come on Darien!" said Serena.   
"Please tell us? PLEEEEEEASE?"  
  
"But Serena, then it wouldn't be a   
surprise," said Amy.  
  
"We'd better scramble into the minivan   
before the fireworks begin," said Greg.  
  
"Right," said Darien.  
  
"Here are the keys," said Mr. Urawa. "I   
trust you'll keep my van in good shape?"  
  
"Yes, sir," said Darien. "Thank you very   
much."  
  
"Oh, and Greg, there's something I have   
to talk to you about when you get back,"   
said Mr. Urawa.  
  
"Sure thing, dad," said Greg.  
  
"Let's go!" said Rini and Sasha at the   
same time.  
  
"Well they're certainly anxious, aren't   
they," said Greg.  
  
The six of them said goodbye to Mr.   
Urawa, then headed for the minivan.  
  
  
Darien cruised along the highway, heading   
southwest toward the destination that   
Serena, Rini and Sasha knew nothing   
about.  
  
Sitting next to Darien in the front   
passenger's seat was Greg. The two men   
talked about a wide variety of stuff,   
including the worst Negaverse enemies.  
  
"I remember way back," said Greg,   
"Libroria tried to separate Amy and I by   
hypnosis... Libroria was definitely the   
worst."  
  
In the middle of the van, Rini and Sasha   
played some games and made up funny   
stories.  
  
"Did you know that Darien was born in a   
city called Chiba?" said Rini.  
  
Darien grimaced and looked at Greg. "Rini   
does that all the time," he said.  
  
In the back, Serena was actually doing   
something productive... reading a novel.  
  
The novel was very appealing to Serena.   
Perhaps because it was really an e-book   
which was loaded into Amy's mini-  
computer.  
  
"Oh, this is so nice!" said Serena. "Do   
you have any other stories like this,   
Amy?"  
  
Amy smiled. "Sure I do, and take your   
time! The more books you read, the more   
proficient you'll be in language."  
  
Serena's eyes bulged. "Uh.. is that the   
same as.. studying? In that case, no way!   
I don't have time for any of that."   
  
Serena gave Amy back her mini-computer,   
then reached under her seat for her   
lunchbox. She opened her lunchbox and   
took out two of the eight jelly donuts   
that she stuffed in the box before the   
trip. She plopped the first one in her   
mouth, and the second one came right   
behind.  
  
Serena, mouth full, turned to Amy and   
said, "MOULD MU MIKE A MONUT, MAMY?"  
  
Amy waved her hand to Serena. "No   
thanks." Then Amy said to herself, I   
should give Serena more time to study   
like this.. without the food, that is..  
  
  
"We're almost there," said Greg, as the   
minivan passed a sign denoting the city   
limit line.   
  
The four ladies looked ahead as the   
buildings in the distance got taller, and   
taller... closer and closer.  
  
Serena snapped, "KYOTO!"  
  
"Kyoto?" asked a puzzled Rini and Sasha.   
The two girls then looked outside at a   
billboard that said, "Welcome to Kyoto   
City." They then turned to each other and   
shouted, "KYOTO!"  
  
"Ding-ding! We have a winner!" said Greg.  
  
"We're going over to the Kyoto train   
station to do some shopping, and then we   
are going to a park that has a shrine, a   
lake, a teahouse, and a beautiful water   
fountain," said Amy.  
  
"Neat!" said Serena. "There are so many   
clothes that I want to try out, and so   
many other things that I want to buy..."  
  
"And here we are, guys! Here's the   
parking lot," snapped Darien, aiming to   
stop Serena from talking.  
  
Serena sat upright in her seat, while   
Rini and Sasha giggled.  
  
  
Darien and Greg took the girls on what   
appeared to be a successful shopping   
trip. Serena was able to buy two new   
shirts and a new pair of jeans, Amy   
bought herself a kimono, Sasha found some   
nice new shoes, and Rini, some nice pink   
pajamas. Greg also went to an electronics   
store to buy a memory card for his   
computer at home.  
  
Rini looked at a television screen inside   
the kimono shop as Amy was making her   
purchase. She saw young Japanese women   
dance around, wearing kimonos, white face   
paint, bright red lipstick and stylish   
hair. "What are they doing?" she asked.  
  
"I think they are called geisha girls,"   
said Sasha. "A few months ago I read a   
book about geishas in my orphanage… and   
they are very popular around here."  
  
"They look nice," said Rini.  
  
When everyone was finished shopping at   
the Kyoto station, they packed everything   
back into the minivan, except for Amy,   
who decided to carry her kimono with her.   
Then they took the light rail to the   
park.  
  
  
Meanwhile, back in you-know-where...  
  
Queen Sorinya was standing up and   
stretching as the servant Quartzia   
entered the chambers.  
  
"What are you doing, my queen," asked   
Quartzia.  
  
"I'm stretching," said Sorinya, "because   
I'm TIRED."  
  
"Why don't you get some rest and allow me   
to take care of Amy Mizuno for you?"  
  
"No, you fool, I'm tired because I   
haven't caught Amy!" said Sorinya.   
"There's got to be something new to try...   
obviously the energy-stealing schemes   
haven't worked. I have to settle down and   
figure something out... I know, I'll use   
you, Quartzia. I haven't asked for your   
services in a long time. Perhaps you can   
come up with something."  
  
Quartzia bowed her head. "I have just the   
plan. I will not disappoint you, my   
queen."  
  
  
It was a clear and cool day in the quiet,   
peaceful park on the outskirts of Tokyo.   
The group sat at a picnic table to eat   
lunch that they had bought at the light   
rail station, then proceeded to visit the   
shrine. Afterwards, they all walked along   
the dewy path to a traditional house.   
From the house was a path that led to   
another house where the tea ceremony took   
place.  
  
As they stepped inside the traditional   
home, Amy excused herself. "This is the   
perfect opportunity to try out my new   
kimono," she said.  
  
As Amy left to change, Rini remembered   
when she went to a teahouse in the   
confines of Juuban. "I hope this won't be   
like what happened before," she said.  
  
"You mean when the hostess wanted to   
become a sailor scout?" said Serena. "Oh   
ya, well if anything happens, I'm outtie   
right away! No questions asked."  
  
Sasha stepped up to Serena. "You can't   
leave a tea ceremony like that!" she   
said.  
  
"I'm a lot older than you, Sasha, I can   
make my own decisions."  
  
"Serena, even if we're from someplace   
else, this tea ceremony is very important   
to all of us, and to this country. Many   
of our earth-born ancestors were probably   
involved in a tea ceremony. You just   
can't leave. To do so would be improper   
and rude."  
  
"Sasha's got a point," said Darien.  
  
Serena was amazed at how smart Sasha was,   
and with a big sweatdrop on her head,   
conceded. "Oh, all right."  
  
At that point, the hostess of the   
teahouse, dressed in a blue kimono, came   
forward. "Good afternoon, my name is Mrs.   
Hattori, and I will be your hostess for   
our tea ceremony."  
  
Greg, Sasha, Serena, Darien and Rini   
bowed in respect.  
  
"Before we begin, allow me to present one   
young woman who looks very stylish this   
day. Miss Mizuno?"  
  
Out from behind the screen walked a   
beautiful woman wearing a gorgeous   
yellow, pink and red-painted kimono.. and   
short blue hair.  
  
Greg's eyes almost bulged out of their   
sockets. "Wow."  
  
"Amy! Hubba-hubba!" said Serena.  
  
"You look great, Amy!" said Sasha.  
  
"Neat!" said Rini.  
  
Greg was stammering to find the right   
words.. "Ah.. um.. y.. you.. you...   
uh... shall we proceed over to the ceremony   
now?"  
  
"I'd love to," said Amy with a smile.  
  
As Mrs. Hattori led the group outdoors to   
the path, Sasha reminded Serena, "This   
ceremony is important! You, and everyone   
else, must stay focused on the moment. We   
can't allow anything to distract us."  
  
Serena took a deep breath and sighed. She   
then turned to the left and saw in the   
distance...  
  
"Hey, is that the water fountain that you   
guys were talking about?"  
  
Greg looked over. "Yes, that's the one!"  
  
"Who is that standing on top of the   
fountain?" Serena asked.  
  
"Not who, but what," said Darien.  
  
"That is a statue of a wise person from   
long ago," said Mrs. Hattori. "He is   
considered a hero around here."  
  
Mrs. Hattori and the group approached the   
teahouse.  
  
"You all should crawl through this space   
to enter," said Mrs. Hattori. "I will   
enter from another door in a few   
moments."  
  
The six removed their shoes, crawled   
through the opening into the paper-walled   
room, and sat down on the mats that had   
been laid out by Mrs. Hattori in advance.  
  
Greg was the last to enter, and slid the   
door closed behind him.  
  
As the six were waiting, Sasha said,   
"Remember! Don't let anything distract   
you!"  
  
"We won't," said the other five in   
unison.  
  
Mrs. Hattori then entered the teahouse   
and closed the door behind her.  
  
"Welcome to one of the oldest and most   
precious ceremonies in all of Japan."  
  
"Excuse me, Mrs. Hattori," said Rini, "I   
don't mean to be rude, but I don't   
remember anything about the tea   
ceremony."  
  
"Not to worry!" replied Mrs. Hattori. "I   
will show you everything, and I will make   
it brief so that you understand. For   
example, this," she said, holding a small   
jar, "is called the natsume. This jar   
holds the powdered green tea that we will   
use. We then take this bamboo spoon,   
called a chasaku, to place the tea into   
the teacup, like this," she said, pouring   
the powder into the cup.  
  
"Ah, now I'm starting to remember," said   
Rini. "Now you open that big pot, right?"  
  
"Yes," said Mrs. Hattori, "this is called   
the mizusashi. We take the water from   
here, and..."  
  
Greg was enjoying Mrs. Hattori's   
description of the tea ceremony, when he   
heard a scream from a distance...  
  
He turned his head in the direction of   
the scream. So did Darien.  
  
Sasha noticed that Greg had turned his   
head. She tapped his shoulder and told   
him that he should look back at Mrs.   
Hattori.  
  
"Right," said Greg softly.  
  
"...and we take the hishaku to pour the   
water into the teacups, like so," said   
Mrs. Hattori, pouring the water out.   
"Then we take this, the chasen, to beat   
the tea and the water together."  
  
Almost everyone heard someone yell, "Get   
away... AAAHHH!" from afar. But they stayed   
focused in the moment.  
  
"And your tea is ready," said Mrs.   
Hattori. "Please come forward, take the   
tea, and then return to your seat."  
  
Rini did just that. Next, she was   
instructed to place the teacup between   
herself and the next guest, Darien, and   
bow to Darien. Afterwards, she bowed to   
Mrs. Hattori and picked up the teacup   
with both hands.  
  
"Turn it around to the right two times,   
and then drink the tea," said Mrs.   
Hattori.  
  
Rini sipped the tea. "It's delicious,"   
she said.  
  
"AARRRGGHHH!!" yelled a woman in the   
distance.  
  
Rini finished the tea and bowed once more   
to Mrs. Hattori. "Thank you very much!"   
she said.  
  
Over the next few minutes, amid the   
screams and yelling from the outside,   
Mrs. Hattori prepared and served the tea   
to the other five guests.  
  
At the end, everyone bowed. "This   
concludes our ceremony," said Mrs.   
Hattori. "Thank you all very much for   
coming."  
  
"Thank you, Mrs. Hattori, for your   
kindness and hospitality," said Darien.   
"It was a special experience for all of   
us, including myself, and we shall never   
forget it."  
  
Mrs. Hattori slid open the exit. "Feel   
free to come back to Kyoto anytime to...   
oh, dear. Where is the statue?"  
  
"Statue?" asked Serena.  
  
"Yes, on the fountain... it has   
disappeared."  
  
Everyone looked toward the fountain.  
  
Greg started to say, "Now what do you   
think..." when everyone noticed some young   
women running in front of the fountain.   
Coming right behind them was a tall, red-  
faced figure, with bulging yellow eyes   
and wearing a men's kimono.  
  
"Oh, no, that looks like...Noburito-san?"  
  
"Who?" asked Serena.  
  
"Noburito-san," said Mrs. Hattori, "is   
the name of the man honored on the   
statue! And I can barely see a black,   
yes, a black crescent on his forehead."  
  
Darien looked at the others. "Well, we   
have work to do. Greg, Amy, Sasha, you   
three stay with Mrs. Hattori for now.   
Serena and Rini, come with me."  
  
Serena, Darien and Rini ran away, towards   
the fountain.  
  
"Where are they going?" asked Mrs.   
Hattori.  
  
"Oh.. uh... it's a long story," said Greg.  
  
Sasha went up to Mrs. Hattori to try to   
talk to her and distract her from what   
was going on.  
  
Meanwhile, Amy pulled her mini-computer   
out from the place where her shoes were   
left, and took a scan of the tall, red   
figure.  
  
"What do you see?" asked Greg.  
  
"Very interesting," said Amy. "It's   
definitely a Negaverse monster.. generated   
from the statue on the water fountain...   
and the monster has increased hormone   
levels."  
  
"Hormone levels?" asked Greg. "Which   
means..."  
  
"Well, how can I say it.. this monster.. is   
attracted to women!"  
  
"Attracted to women? Good grief," said   
Greg, taking out his cell phone and   
pressing the EMRG button to alert the   
other sailor scouts and knights. "Well   
what should we do about it?"  
  
"We'll have to figure something out on   
the way," said Amy.   
  
Amy went back to tap Sasha on the   
shoulder. "Come on Sasha, let's go!"  
  
Greg, Amy and Sasha were starting to run   
away, when...  
  
"Stop, please..."  
  
The three turned around... back at Mrs.   
Hattori.  
  
"I can't take much of this anymore," said   
Mrs. Hattori. "Could one of you please   
tell us what is going on?"  
  
Greg, Amy and Sasha looked at Mrs.   
Hattori. They couldn't just leave like   
this and tell her it was nothing... after   
all that she did for them this afternoon.   
They could tell that Mrs. Hattori was   
very skillful... and a very special person.  
  
"We have to do it in front of her," said   
Greg.  
  
"Greg!" said Amy. "Are you sure?"  
  
"What's your opinion?" asked Greg.  
  
Amy thought hard in the brief moment that   
she had.  
  
"Well... she's been so nice and kind to us,   
so... we must be the same to her. Since she   
is here, we must be truthful."  
  
"I say we transform," said Sasha.  
  
"Transform?" asked Mrs. Hattori.  
  
Greg looked at Amy and Sasha, then back   
at Mrs. Hattori.  
  
"Yes," he said, "transform."  
  
Greg held his cell phone, Amy reached   
inside the kimono for her transformation   
pen, and Sasha opened up her necklace.  
  
"Tell me if you have ever seen these   
people before," said Greg.  
  
Greg flipped open his cell phone, held it   
into the air and yelled "MERCURY KNIGHT   
POWER!"  
  
The cell phone spun around and morphed   
itself into the dagger, and Greg's   
transformation began.  
  
"MERCURY STAR POWER!"  
"MERCURY PRISM POWER!"  
  
Mrs. Hattori was astonished at what she   
saw. "Why, you're.. you're..."  
  
"How do you do? I'm called the Mercury   
Knight, and this is my future family. My   
current girlfriend and future wife,   
Sailor Mercury, and our current foster   
child and future daughter, Sailor Mini   
Mercury."  
  
"Hi!" said Sailor Mini Mercury.  
  
"Good heavens," said Mrs. Hattori. "I...   
have heard so much about you! I am so   
pleased... and honored... to know who you   
really are."  
  
"Well, given the circumstances, we didn't   
have much choice," said Mercury Knight.  
  
"Will you promise us to keep our   
identities a secret?" asked Sailor   
Mercury.  
  
Mrs. Hattori bowed. "You have my word."  
  
"Thank you!" said Sailor Mini Mercury.   
"Now let's get that monster!"  
  
"All right," said Mercury Knight. "Now   
what did you say was... oh I remember, the   
monster is attracted to women."  
  
"Yes," said Sailor Mercury. "Keep in   
mind, though, that we can't destroy it,   
or else the park will lose a valuable   
landmark. We must get the monster in a   
position where we can use healing   
activation... either mine or yours, or   
Sailor Moon's, should do it."  
  
Mercury Knight activated his visor and   
zoomed in to where the monster was.  
  
The monster was frantically chasing two   
women... Sailor Moon and Sailor Mini Moon.  
  
"Serena and Rini have already   
transformed, and they're being chased by   
the monster," said Mercury Knight.  
  
Mercury Knight zoomed in closer, and   
picked up some waves emanating from the   
monster.  
  
"Well, aren't we going to do something?"   
Sailor Mini Mercury screamed.  
  
"Hang on a second..." said Mercury Knight.   
"I... all right, I've figured out a way to   
slow him down. It seems that... he will   
slow down... with movements of some kind...   
Now exactly what those movements are...   
hmm... questionable..."  
  
Sailor Mini Mercury looked on the floor   
and saw the kimono that Sailor Mercury   
was wearing before she transformed. She   
then remembered earlier in the day, when   
she and Rini were talking about geishas.  
  
"Mrs. Hattori," said Mini Mercury, "Were   
you a geisha once?"  
  
"Geisha? Oh..." she said, smiling, "Yes,   
many years ago, before I got married."  
  
"Sasha, what does geisha... Hey... wait a   
minute," said Mercury Knight.  
  
Mercury Knight crouched down to pick up   
the kimono... and handed it to Sailor   
Mercury.  
  
"You want me... to dance like a geisha???"  
  
"Yes, my dear. You have a short amount of   
time. Mrs. Hattori, can you quickly teach   
Sailor Mercury a few geisha dance moves?"  
  
"Of course, I'll be happy to help," said   
Mrs. Hattori.  
  
Sailor Mercury, carrying her kimono,   
walked with Mrs. Hattori behind the   
teahouse.  
  
About two minutes later, Tuxedo Mask   
sluggishly made his way to Mercury Knight   
and Sailor Mini Mercury.  
  
"He's got... Sailor Moon.. and Mini Moon..   
and other.. women.. weighed down..." he said,   
breathing heavily.  
  
"Take it easy, where are they?" asked   
Mercury Knight.  
  
Tuxedo Mask settled down a bit. "Their   
feet have been turned into bricks... they   
can't move... they're all at the north end   
of the park."  
  
"Brick?" said Mini Mercury.  
  
"That must be because the water fountain   
is made of brick," said Mercury Knight.   
"But I might have a solution..."  
  
Mercury Knight stopped talking when he   
saw the monster, with a dark, angry look   
on its face, charge toward where he and   
the others were standing.  
  
"MERCURY ICE SHIELD! Come on guys, get   
behind this just in case."  
  
As Mini Mercury and Tuxedo Mask were   
making their way behind the shield, Mrs.   
Hattori reappeared with her shamisen   
musical instrument. "We are ready," she   
said.  
  
"Go ahead," said Mercury Knight.  
  
Mrs. Hattori began to play the instrument   
and sing.  
  
At that point, Sailor Mercury, dressed in   
the kimono and holding a fan, stepped   
forward and began to dance.  
  
The monster that was charging fast...   
slowed down... and stopped. He began to   
stare intently at the woman who was   
dancing in front of him.  
  
"That's right," said Mercury Knight   
softly, while de-activating his shield.   
"Now when I tell you to, Sasha, I want   
you to use your attack to bind the   
monster's hands, while I'll use my sword   
to bind its feet."  
  
"OK!" whispered Mini Mercury.  
  
"Hey, this is working!" said Tuxedo Mask.  
  
The monster was still staring at the   
dancing woman... he had no interest in   
anyone else.  
  
Mercury Knight was waiting... waiting...   
waiting...  
  
...until the monster raised his hands up in   
the air, seemingly ready to grab the   
dancer...  
  
"NOW! MERCURY ICE BLADE CHARGE!"  
"SHABON FAN!"  
  
Mercury Knight aimed the ray from the ice   
blade at the monster's feet, while Mini   
Mercury aimed the super cooled water   
toward its hands.  
  
It worked. The ice blade attack froze the   
monster's feet to the ground, and the   
Shabon Fan attack bound the monster's   
hands.  
  
Mercury Knight ran to Sailor Mercury and   
removed the kimono, revealing her sailor   
"fuku" beneath.  
  
Sailor Mercury then took out what had   
become the Shabon Wand.  
  
Mercury Knight said to Sailor Mercury,   
"Great job... oh... you know what to do   
already..."  
  
"Now, you must go back to where you came   
from," said Sailor Mercury to the   
monster. "SHABON HEALING!"  
  
The ray of light from the Shabon Rod   
struck and surrounded the monster, who   
was starting to crumble into red pieces...   
and crumble more... until it was a tall   
pile of red bricks.  
  
Sailor Mercury moved the Shabon Rod up,   
lifting the pile of bricks into the air.   
She then moved it to the left, sending   
the bricks in that direction. Eventually   
the bricks made their way back to the   
fountain, and came together to form the   
statue that was originally there.  
  
Sailor Mercury lowered her Shabon Rod and   
smiled.  
  
"Great job!" said Tuxedo Mask. "I'll   
check on Sailor Moon and Sailor Mini Moon   
to make sure they're all right. I'll be   
back..." Tuxedo Mask jumped into the air,   
and out of sight.  
  
As Tuxedo Mask left, the other Sailor   
Scouts were running in.  
  
"Oh great, we missed again," said Mars   
Knight.  
  
"Yeah, we don't get in on much lately,"   
said Sailor Mars.  
  
"That's because Amy's the target," said   
Mercury Knight, "but don't you worry...   
something deep inside me says you're   
going to see some action real soon..."  
  
"You heard him?" said Venus Knight.   
"Remember the power that Greg's got over   
here... you two better be looking behind   
your back over the next few days."  
  
"Cool, in that case I'm happy," said Mars   
Knight.  
  
Mercury Knight looked at Mars Knight... and   
lowered his head...  
  
Tuxedo Mask returned, holding Sailor Moon   
and Sailor Mini Moon in their arms. A   
light dust covered the feet of the two   
young ladies.  
  
On landing, Sailor Moon collapsed onto   
the grass. Sailor Mini Moon fell down as   
well.  
  
"You two better stay on the floor," said   
Sailor Mercury. "It looks like your feet   
might have been turned into bricks by the   
look of that dust," she said.  
  
"No, DUH!" said Sailor Mini Moon.  
  
Sailor Mini Mercury went up to Sailor   
Mini Moon. "Stay there for a few minutes   
and you'll be just fine. The weight on   
your feet has to equalize back to normal   
again."  
  
Sailor Mini Moon was surprised. "How do   
you know all about that?"  
  
"Studying," Sailor Mini Mercury   
responded.  
  
Sailor Moon sat up, looking at Sailor   
Mini Mercury, a sweatdrop on her head.   
  
"Who is she," asked Sailor Jupiter,   
pointing to the old woman in the blue   
kimono.  
  
"This is Mrs. Hattori... she's the hostess   
of the teahouse over there," said Sailor   
Mercury, pointing to the teahouse.  
  
"Pleased to meet you," said Mrs. Hattori,   
bowing. "I must say, that Amy, Greg,   
Sasha and the others have done   
exceptional, and I am happy that you all   
have restored order to this place."  
  
"Well," said Jupiter Knight, "we're glad   
that you think Amy, Gr... hey, wait a   
minute.. you.. you know... Amy and Greg   
and Sasha are..."  
  
"Yes, yes," said Mrs. Hattori. "And   
Darien, Serena and Rini, too."  
  
"Mrs. Hattori is officially a friend of   
the Sailor Scouts," said Tuxedo Mask.  
  
"Well, if you say so, then we can't argue   
with that," Sailor Uranus said.  
  
"Do you make the tea yourself?" asked   
Sailor Neptune.  
  
"Yes, and her tea is great!" said Sailor   
Mini Moon. "She was really helpful and a   
great host."  
  
"Which is why she deserves to be a friend   
of the scouts," said Mercury Knight.  
  
Sailor Venus bowed to Mrs. Hattori...   
looked around... and then de-transformed.  
  
The other scouts and knights didn't seem   
to object.  
  
"My name is Mina. I'm honored to meet   
you. And this is my boyfriend, Jamie."  
  
Venus Knight de-transformed. "Hello."  
  
One by one, the other sailor scouts and   
knights de-transformed and greeted Mrs.   
Hattori.  
  
Sailor Moon and Sailor Mini Moon remained   
on the ground, still recovering from the   
"brick effect."  
  
Chad, Ken and Jamie showed Greg their new   
cell phones. They were red, green and   
yellow in color, respectively. "So if   
anything happens to me," said Chad,   
"you'll be the first to know."  
  
"I would be honored if all of you would   
come here tomorrow for a tea ceremony. I   
would make it an extra special one," said   
Mrs. Hattori.  
  
"Mrs. Hattori," said Sailor Moon, "I'm   
sure everyone here would agree that we   
have to give YOU a tea ceremony... all I   
have to make sure is that I don't screw   
it up... but we should give you one!"  
  
"If the chance comes, I'd be happy to,"   
said Mrs. Hattori, who picked up   
something wrapped in green paper from off   
the ground. "I would like to give this to   
you all, as a token of my appreciation.   
When you throw what is in here to the   
ground, a beautiful display of nature   
will make you joyful and happy."  
  
Mrs. Hattori started to give the gift to   
Sailor Moon, who was still on the ground.   
"Is there enough in there for everyone?"   
she asked.  
  
"Yes," replied Mrs. Hattori. "Of course!   
Everyone may take as much as they   
please."  
  
Mrs. Hattori opened the gift to reveal   
many tiny pieces of a yellowish grain.   
Each took a handful.  
  
"Thanks very much," said Michelle.  
  
"If you guys are ready," said Amara,   
"we'll head back now."  
  
"OK," said Raye, "Guess I'll leave the   
six of you here to go back on your own."  
  
"Thanks to all my friends, as usual!"   
said Sailor Mini Moon.  
  
Amara, Michelle, Chad, Raye, Ken, Lita,   
Mina and Jamie walked away as Sailor Moon   
and Sailor Mini Moon finally regained   
their composure and de-transformed.  
  
"So what does this... stuff... actually do?"   
Greg asked Mrs. Hattori.  
  
"Well, I invite you to find out for   
yourself," she replied. "Why don't you   
walk over to the fountain to try?"  
  
"Um.. a... all right," said Greg. "Guys,   
I'll be back in a minute, and, thank you   
again, Mrs. Hattori."  
  
"A pleasure," she responded.  
  
"Greg," Amy said, placing her hands on   
his shoulder. "Can I go with you?"  
  
"Me, too?" asked Sasha.  
  
"Well in that case, we should all go!"   
said Greg.  
  
"Uh, no thanks," said Serena, "I don't   
feel like walking right now..."  
  
"Ah... you three can go ahead, I'll stay   
with the ladies," said Darien.  
  
"All right, see you in a few," said Greg.  
  
Greg, Amy and Sasha walked to the base of   
the fountain, looking up at the statue of   
a figure that they fought only minutes   
earlier.  
  
Greg sat down on the edge of the   
fountain. Amy, with her minicomputer,   
followed suit.  
  
Sasha stretched her arms up in the air,   
facing the seated Greg and Amy.  
  
"Can we try now?"  
  
"Yes, might as well," said Greg. "Hold   
out your hand, Sasha."  
  
Greg poured the yellow stuff into Sasha's   
hand.  
  
"Now," said Greg, "let's check the wind...   
ok. Throw it up towards our left, and   
let's see what happens."  
  
Sasha did just that. The yellow grains   
leaped up in the air as far as Sasha   
could throw them before gravity sent them   
flying to the ground.  
  
The three waited...  
  
And waited...  
  
And waited...  
  
"Well?" said Sasha.  
  
Amy looked at the time on her   
minicomputer, then looked into the clear   
blue sky.  
  
She could see a group of birds flying in   
the sky, making a right turn... headed   
straight for them.  
  
"Those birds are turning into the   
crosswind," she said. "They're really not   
supposed to do that."  
  
"That's right," said Sasha, "birds are   
supposed to fly with the wind."  
  
"Except for these birds," said Greg. "I   
have a gut feeling..."  
  
Greg's gut feeling came true when the   
flock of birds, around eight or ten of   
them, landed on the ground in front of   
them and started to eat from the yellow   
grains on the ground.  
  
"Those birds are beautiful!" said Sasha   
with a smile. "I love their long, dark   
feathers."  
  
"They remind me of Phobos and Deimos,"   
said Amy.  
  
The three expected the birds to depart   
right after finishing... but they didn't.  
  
One of the birds went right next to Amy   
to drink from the water in the fountain.  
  
Three more gently flapped their wings and   
flew around Amy, Greg and Sasha.  
  
"Those birds aren't going to hit us, are   
they?" asked Sasha.  
  
"No, not with their beaks, or with   
something else..." said Greg, lifting his   
left hand, "but I..."  
  
Greg stopped talking when a bird landed   
its claws on his extended hand. His face   
froze.  
  
It seemed to look at him with curious   
interest... and pecked at his hand.  
  
Greg laughed. "That tickles..."  
  
Greg then reached up with the other hand   
to hold the dark-feathered creature. "How   
are ya?" He said with a smile.  
  
Two other birds were circling around   
Sasha. Sasha smiled and laughed as the   
birds closed in on her. Sasha's youth   
then kicked into high gear.. as she   
extended her arms, and flew with the   
birds in circles... eventually around the   
fountain a few times.  
  
Sasha then looked at Greg and Amy and   
pointed at one of the birds. "I like that   
one!"  
  
"Well," said Amy, "I like this a lot.   
This is the perfect display of nature...   
and it shows what a wonderful person Mrs.   
Hattori is..."  
  
"I'll drink to that!" said Greg.  
  
Amy, Greg and Sasha spent a few more   
minutes with the birds before departing   
for home. But their moment spent with the   
birds... the symbol of nature from Mrs.   
Hattori... was a symbol that they would   
never forget.  
  
Time seemed to stand still... in Amy's   
eyes, Greg's eyes, and Sasha's eyes... it   
was a Kodak moment... a moment, perfect for   
a picture.  
  
  
**************************  
Join us next time for Chapter 23 of  
The Saga of Mercury. 


	23. Swan Song for the Shrine?

Visit the NEW WEB SITE for The Saga of Mercury!  
You can view two drawings by Anime artist Scortia and  
download chapters in PDF format by visiting:  
http://members.aol.com/jrhorse98/sagaofmercury/index.html  
and clicking on the "Graphics" link.  
  
You can also view these chapters at:  
http://www.fanfiction.net  
http://www.moonromance.net  
http://www.mediaminer.org/fanfic  
http://www.fandomination.net  
http://www.efanfiction.net  
http://www.soupfiction.net  
  
Chapters are also posted weekly at the Sailor Moon newsgroup:  
news:alt.fan.sailor-moon  
  
**********  
DISCLAIMER  
  
As usual, "Sailor Moon" and all related characters  
are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, TOEI  
Animation and other agencies.  
  
The Saga of Mercury story is copyrighted by me, however  
content in some chapters is based on the Mercury  
Knight Stories as described in the Chapter 1 Introduction.  
**********  
  
The Saga of Mercury  
Chapter 23  
Swan Song for the Shrine?  
  
Quartzia approached Queen Sorinya's   
chambers in the Negaverse.  
  
Quartzia bowed and said in a loud voice,   
"My..."  
  
Then Quartzia stopped suddenly, a   
sweatdrop on her head, when she realized   
that Sorinya was asleep on the throne.  
  
Sleeping on the job, Quartzia thought.   
Well, it's too bad she can do it but I   
can't... oh well. I guess I'll surprise her   
when she wakes up to see that my new plan   
to target Amy Mizuno finally works, when   
I go after... her friends!  
  
  
Meanwhile, at Hikawa Shrine...  
  
The sun was beginning to set -- causing   
streaks of orange and pink to shoot   
across the partly cloudy sky -- as the   
last group of visitors entered the Hikawa   
Shrine. Chad and Raye were on duty   
selling a wide variety of lucky charms.  
  
"This charm will help you become a huge   
rock star, just like me!" bellowed Chad   
to a young man.  
  
Raye turned to Chad and gave him a stern   
look. "No, idiot!" said Raye, slapping   
Chad upside the head. "Um... I'm sorry   
sir," she said, turning to the young man.   
"What he meant to say is that this is for   
good wishes in music... this is NOT   
specifically a rock star charm, because   
we don't have any like that, but this   
music charm will cover it just as well."  
  
"Thank you," said the young man, bowing   
and departing.  
  
"You just had to say that, huh?" said   
Raye.  
  
"He-heh, I just wanted to cheer you up,"   
said Chad.  
  
"How can you do that?"  
  
"By reminding you of the old days, back   
when I was a peddling rock singer before   
entering the shrine."  
  
"Your past doesn't cheer me up... the   
present, the now, does," Raye said. She   
paused before continuing. "Such as a few   
months ago, when you became the Mars   
Knight right in front of my eyes..."  
  
"Mars Knight?" said the boy waiting next   
in line. "Hey, he's my hero!"  
  
Chad faced the boy. "I... ahem... I mean, he   
is?"  
  
"Yes," said the boy. "I wish I could meet   
him one day and become just like him."  
  
"Well, young guy," said Raye, "Here's a   
charm that I can give you for more   
endurance, that should be a start."  
  
"Thank you, bye!" said the boy,   
departing.  
  
Raye turned to Chad and whispered in his   
ear: "Well, there's at least one person   
that likes you."  
  
Raye was paying attention to Grandpa Hino   
who was at the entrance about to close   
up.  
  
"Grandpa's talking to a few girls again,"   
said Chad.  
  
"AGAIN?" said Raye, standing up. "Grandpa   
has you and he has me, that's enough for   
assistants, isn't it?"  
  
  
"I'm always looking for some new   
assistants," Grandpa said to two young   
schoolgirls. "So are you ladies   
interested? Would you like me to sign you   
up?"  
  
The girls giggled. "You're funny," said   
one girl. "Goodbye!"  
  
"Oh well," mumbled Grandpa as he locked   
the gates.  
  
Grandpa walked up the long set of steps   
to the steps of the shrine. He rang the   
bell-tied rope and prayed silently for a   
few minutes before returning over to   
where Raye and Chad were packing up the   
charms stand.  
  
"You know," said Grandpa to the two,   
"when I think about it, I'm very, very   
lucky to have the two of you around to   
help around at my shrine. My daughter and   
a young, tough lad. Nothing better than   
that! Now, if you'll excuse me, I think   
I'll go over and take a nice, hot bath.   
See you in the morning!"  
  
Raye and Chad bowed to Grandpa as he left   
to walk inside the shrine.  
  
"Wow," said Chad. "Isn't that like the   
first time he said something like that?"  
  
Raye shed a tear. "Yeah.. well.. he's said   
it before, but not too many times.. Most   
of the time.. he just bosses us around and   
tells us, clean this, clean that, sell   
these.. he's very.. well, I don't know what   
else to say.."  
  
"Cheer up, Raye!" he said. "He's a   
changed man! It's time to celebrate!"  
  
"Celebrate? I don't know if..."  
  
Raye stopped talking and held her head.   
  
"Raye? What's wrong?" asked Chad.  
  
"I... I feel an evil presence.. it's.. very   
close.." she said.  
  
Chad thought for a moment... and then   
remembered what Mercury Knight had said   
to him days ago in Kyoto...  
  
"...Don't you worry... something deep inside   
me says you're going to see some action   
real soon..."  
  
Is this what he meant, Chad said to   
himself.  
  
Chad then turned his attention to the   
roof of the Hikawa Shrine...  
  
"Look up there," said Chad. "Phobos and   
Deimos are acting strange."  
  
Indeed, the two looked up to see that the   
two birds were flying around the roof of   
the shrine in distress.  
  
Raye looked intently up at them, and then   
extended her two hands up in the air.   
"Come down here, you two," she said to   
the birds.  
  
The two crows began to slowly swoop down   
to where Chad and Raye were.  
  
Their rate of descent became faster.. and   
faster.. and faster..  
  
"They.. they don't fly down THAT fast!"   
said Raye.  
  
At that instant, the beaks of Phobos and   
Deimos opened up.. and a stream of fire   
began to shoot out of their mouths.  
  
"LOOK OUT!" yelled Chad, pushing Raye out   
of the way of the fire stream.  
  
The fire stream struck the charm stand...   
sending it sky-high in smoke and flames.  
  
"AAAH!" yelled Chad. "The charms!"  
  
Chad and Raye saw the charm stand burn to   
the ground... the hundreds of charms that   
were in the stand going down with it.  
  
Before they knew it, Phobos and Deimos   
were sending their streaks of fire all   
around the shrine... lighting up several of   
the surrounding trees in the process.  
  
Phobos and Deimos then took aim on the   
shrine itself.  
  
All the while, Grandpa was taking his hot   
bath inside, not knowing what was   
happening on the outside.  
  
With many trees already burned and   
charred to a crisp, the birds opened   
their beaks...  
  
"GRANDPA!" yelled Raye.  
  
  
  
In the Urawa household, Greg and his   
father were in the living room, along   
with Amy, Sasha, Lita, Ken, Mina, Jamie,   
Luna and Artemis.  
  
"I thank all of you for coming here   
tonight for a very important   
announcement," Mr. Urawa said to   
everyone.  
  
He then turned to Greg.  
  
"Greg, my son, you have matured very well   
in life, and I am very happy for you.   
Your committed support for Sasha has just   
proven to me what a wonderful person you   
are."  
  
"Thank you, father."  
  
"Greg, I received a phone call a few   
nights ago from the president of the   
company... The president needs me to travel   
all the way up to Sapporo in a few days,   
and I won't return for at least four   
months..."  
  
Greg looked at everyone else in shock.   
Turning back to his father, he said, "I   
have to go with you on the road for four   
months?"  
  
"Greg.. you.." said Mr. Urawa, "will...   
  
"...you will be staying here."  
  
Greg's face froze.  
  
"I'm putting you in command... you're going   
to be in charge of this house while I am   
gone."  
  
Greg's face was still frozen.  
  
"I... I don't know... what to say," Greg   
said.  
  
Sasha ran up to Greg and leaped into his   
arms.  
  
"Congratulations!" said Sasha, hugging   
Greg tightly.  
  
The others in the room broke into   
applause... with Ken throwing in some   
whistling.  
  
"Thank you," said Greg, bowing while   
still holding on to Sasha. "I won't let   
you down, Dad."  
  
"You'll do fine, Greg," said Lita.  
  
"I'm behind ya," said Jamie.  
  
"Let's celebrate!" said Mina.  
  
Luna and Artemis were meowing their   
approval.  
  
Amy walked up to Greg and curtsied.  
  
"May I have this dance?"  
  
Greg was stunned by the request.   
  
He looked around, noticing that Jamie had   
his finger on the power button to the   
stereo, ready to press it.  
  
He looked at Mr. Urawa, who was nodding,   
as if he was giving his approval.  
  
He looked at Sasha, who was doing the   
same.  
  
Then he looked at Amy.  
  
"Sure, let's give it a whirl."  
  
The others applauded as Greg set Sasha   
down and escorted Amy to the center of   
the living room floor.  
  
Greg and Amy looked at each other, while   
the others looked on.  
  
"I have to do this to you before I die,"   
said Ken.  
  
Lita laughed. "I'll never forget what you   
just said!"  
  
Amy nodded to Jamie to start the stereo.  
  
Jamie pressed the button...  
  
"WZZZ FM, THE LATEST AND GREATEST IN   
SMOOTH JAZZ MUSIC, BRINGS YOU THIS   
SPECIAL NEWS BULLETIN FROM THE TOKYO   
DISTRICT."  
  
Everyone sighed and reacted in disgust.  
  
Amy looked at Greg... grinned... and laughed   
into his shirt.  
  
"This... this is set up, isn't it?" asked   
Greg.  
  
"No, no it isn't," said Jamie. "I tell   
you, it's very rare that a station like   
this would break in with a news   
bulletin."  
  
"Might as well listen to it," said Mina.  
  
"Perfect timing," said Greg.  
  
"THIS IS TETSUYA RASHIMOTO WITH THE   
LATEST NEWS BULLETIN FROM OUTSIDE THE   
JUUBAN SECTION OF TOKYO..."  
  
"Juuban?" said Amy.  
  
"METROPOLITAN FIRE OFFICIALS ARE   
ANNOUNCING THAT THEY ARE RESPONDING TO   
THE SITE OF A FOUR-ALARM FIRE. THE FIRE   
WAS REPORTED TO TAKE PLACE AT THE   
LOCATION OF THE OLD AND HISTORIC HIKAWA   
SHRINE. THE SHRINE, WHICH HAS BEEN A   
MAINSTAY IN THE AREA FOR OVER A HUNDRED   
YEARS, IS CURRENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED BY   
MISTER HINO, CARRIED DOWN FROM THE SECOND   
GENERATION."  
  
Everyone looked at each other.  
  
"Did he say Hikawa Shrine?" said Mr.   
Urawa. "Isn't that where your friends   
live? Uh... Raye, and Chad?"  
  
"Yes, it is," said Greg.  
  
"This is serious, we'd better run over   
there to make sure they're all right,"   
said Lita.  
  
"Yeah," said Greg, "let's all go."  
  
"I'll stay here to see if I can find out   
anything else," said Mr. Urawa.  
  
"Thanks, dad," said Greg.  
  
Mina gathered up Luna and Artemis as she   
and everyone else ran outside and down   
the empty street.  
  
"Stop! Everyone, STOP!" yelled Luna when   
they were halfway down the block.  
  
"Luna, what is it?" asked Mina.  
  
"I have a strange feeling that this fire   
is being caused by the Negaverse," Luna   
said.  
  
"Do you think so?" said Greg.  
  
"Think so?" she responded. "I KNOW SO!"  
  
"I feel the same," said Artemis. "I think   
you guys should transform and be   
prepared."  
  
"Well... yep, we SHOULD transform then,"   
said Ken.  
  
"Right," said Greg.  
  
Greg looked around...  
  
"Wait for this postal truck to pass... all   
right, we're good to go!"  
  
"Let's do it!" said Lita. "JUPITER STAR   
POWER!"  
"JUPITER KNIGHT POWER!"  
"VENUS STAR POWER!"  
"VENUS KNIGHT POWER!"  
"MERCURY STAR POWER!"  
"MERCURY PRISM POWER!"  
"MERCURY KNIGHT POWER!"  
  
When everyone was donned in their battle   
attire, Mercury Knight said, "OK, we've   
got a bit to travel so we'll have to do a   
Planet Teleport. Everyone, join hands!"  
  
Everyone joined hands and began to   
concentrate. Sailor Venus grabbed   
Artemis, and Sailor Jupiter carried Luna,   
in the process.  
  
"Ok, everyone jump at the count of   
three..." said Sailor Mercury.  
  
"To the Hikawa Shrine!" said Sailor Mini   
Mercury.  
  
Mercury Knight started the count.  
  
"One... two... three!"  
  
Everyone leaped up into the air... and   
seconds later, found themselves on the   
street, at the entrance of the Hikawa   
Shrine.  
  
When they opened their eyes, they saw a   
mess.  
  
The entrance to the Hikawa Shrine was   
busted open by the fire department.  
  
Fire trucks were sprawled all over the   
street...   
  
And two firefighters looked right at   
Mercury Knight and the others.  
  
One walked up to them. "The Mercury   
Knight! I've heard a lot about you! I am   
the fire chief."  
  
"Pleased to meet you," said Mercury   
Knight. "What is going on?"  
  
"Well," the chief said, switching to a   
more somber tone, "I'm afraid the Hikawa   
Shrine was completely destroyed."  
  
The sailors gasped.  
  
"Destroyed?" said Jupiter Knight.  
  
"I'm afraid so, and we don't know what   
caused it... well, you know what I mean...   
what caused the fire."  
  
"Can we go to the site to see what's   
left?" asked Venus Knight.  
  
"It's a very sad scene at the top of   
those steps," said the fire chief. "I saw   
Sailor Moon, Tuxedo Mask, and that other   
pink-haired girl there consoling the two   
that lost the shrine's master."  
  
"Shrine's master?" said Mercury Knight.   
"Mister Hino?"  
  
"Yes," said the chief. "I'm afraid... I'm   
afraid he is missing, and after an   
exhaustive search, we believe that he may   
have... perished, inside the shrine."  
  
Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus were   
crying at this point.   
  
Sailor Mercury was holding back tears,   
clutching tightly to Mercury Knight's   
arm.  
  
Jupiter Knight and Venus Knight were   
holding their girlfriends.  
  
And Luna and Artemis stood beside a   
frozen-faced Sailor Mini Mercury... with   
her youth, she couldn't understand any of   
this in her head.  
  
"Have you tried your best?" asked Mercury   
Knight.  
  
"Yes, here, and even within a few blocks   
as well. No luck."  
  
Mercury Knight turned to the others.  
  
"Well guys, it's a real hard thing to do...   
but I think it's time we go up there to   
be with Chad and Raye."  
  
The others nodded in agreement.  
  
  
Mercury Knight... whose brain was in a   
confused and concerned state... led the   
group of sailors, knights and cats up the   
stairs to the main promenade of the   
shrine.  
  
Tuxedo Mask was the first to spot the   
group, and walked up to them.  
  
"You'd better not go up to them," he   
said.  
  
Mercury Knight and the others looked   
behind where Tuxedo Mask was standing.  
  
Sailor Mini Moon was with Chad, whose   
head was looking down on the ground,   
shaking in disbelief.  
  
In front of them, Sailor Moon had her arm   
around Raye... who had collapsed on the   
ground, tears streaming from her eyes,   
yelling "RIN, PYOU, TOU, SHA, KAI, JIN,   
RETSU, SAI, ZEN!" desperately hoping that   
it would help save her grandfather.  
  
Several yards in front of them were the   
charred remains of what was once the   
Hikawa Shrine... as well as the home of   
Chad, Raye, and Grandpa.  
  
Mercury Knight and the others went up   
slowly to Chad.  
  
"I..." was all that Chad could say out of   
his mouth.  
  
Jupiter Knight wrapped his hand around   
Chad. "We're with you all the way,   
buddy," he said.  
  
"We're very sorry," said Mercury Knight.  
  
"Th... thanks guys," said Chad, "but I'm   
thinking about Hino-sensei..."  
  
Mercury Knight looked up into the sky...   
and then felt strange vibes going through   
his body.  
  
"I'm thinking about him, too..." said   
Mercury Knight, activating his computer   
visor.  
  
Sailor Mercury looked at her knight.   
"What do you see?" she asked.  
  
Mercury Knight zoomed in on two things   
that were circling the sky, high   
overhead.  
  
"It's Raye's pet crows," he said.   
"They're acting strange."  
  
"Phobos and Deimos?" said Chad.  
  
Sailor Mercury activated her computer   
visor and joined hands with Mercury   
Knight.  
  
Together, using their super computers,   
they detected strange pulses going into   
and out of the birds.  
  
"It's that unique signature again," said   
Sailor Mercury. "Make no mistake about   
it, the Negaverse is controlling those   
birds."  
  
Chad looked at Sailor Mercury. "You sure   
about that?"  
  
"OHH yeah," said Mercury Knight. "She's   
sure, and so am I."  
  
"Then..." said Chad, "you... you mean to tell   
me that the Negaverse is responsible for   
all of this?"  
  
"I'm afraid so," replied Luna.  
  
Sailor Mini Mercury looked up in the air.  
  
"They're coming for us!" she cried.  
  
Indeed, Phobos and Deimos were starting a   
high descent from where they were   
circling, aimed straight for the group.  
  
"Shields!" yelled Jupiter Knight.   
"JUPITER THUNDER SHIELD!"  
"MERCURY ICE SHIELD!"  
"VENUS LOVE SHIELD!"  
  
Mercury Knight ran forward... Sailor   
Mercury following close behind... to shield   
Sailor Moon and Raye. The others got   
behind the shields of Jupiter Knight and   
Venus Knight.  
  
Raye looked up for a moment at her birds...   
and then brought her eyes behind the Ice   
Shield.  
  
Suddenly there came a bright flash of   
light from in the sky... and Phobos and   
Deimos began to drop like flies from the   
sky.  
  
Mercury Knight looked up in the air.   
"They're falling down," he said.  
  
Phobos and Deimos were falling toward the   
ground at a great rate of speed... until   
they both flapped their wings as they   
neared the bottom for a soft landing.  
  
Mercury Knight de-activated his shield,   
and Raye ran up to her birds. The birds   
were standing upright, but were wobbling   
around.  
  
Jupiter Knight and Venus Knight de-  
activated their shields, and everyone   
walked up to where the birds were.  
  
Sailor Jupiter went up to the two birds.   
"Lucky their landing wasn't harder than   
that," she said. "They'll be all right,   
they're just tired."  
  
"There's one small thing to be happy   
about," said Raye, "but nothing compared   
to.. to.. my.." She started to tear up   
again.  
  
"Did any of you see that bright light in   
the sky?" asked Tuxedo Mask.  
  
"We did."  
  
"Mini Moon? Mini Mercury?"  
  
The two pointed to a forest to the right   
of the shrine site. "I think it came from   
over there," said Sailor Mini Moon.  
  
Mercury Knight used his visor to zoom in   
to that particular part of the forest...  
  
And then, Mercury Knight realized   
something very important about Grandpa.  
  
On a hunch, Mercury Knight went up to   
Raye and helped her to her feet.  
  
"Guys," said Mercury Knight, "if you   
don't mind, Raye and I are going to go   
for a small walk here. You guys stay   
there for now."  
  
As Mercury Knight began to walk, arm   
around Raye, around the shrine ruins,   
Sailor Mercury crouched down to Sailor   
Mini Mercury's eye level. "Sasha," she   
said, "did your parents ever.. I mean.. did   
Greg and I, ever tell you... about death?"  
  
  
As Mercury Knight brought Raye around the   
ruins, he said to her with a smile, "You   
know Raye, there's something you should   
know about your Grandpa."  
  
At first, Raye was struggling to look   
into Mercury Knight's face, his eyes   
still covered by the visor. Then, she had   
a thought.  
  
"Is Grandpa alive, Greg?" she asked.   
"You.. you have psychic powers.. you can   
see into these things.. please tell me.. is   
he alive?"  
  
Mercury Knight hesitated for a moment   
before Raye stepped in front of him and   
stopped him.  
  
"PLEASE," she said with watered eyes.   
"You don't know how much he's really   
meant to me in my life. You HAVE to tell   
me, Greg..."  
  
Mercury Knight calmly said to Raye,   
"Well, you have to remember something...   
He's really, just like me, in a way."  
  
Raye looked at Mercury Knight before   
figuring out... "He used to be a rainbow   
crystal carrier, right?"  
  
"That's correct," said Mercury Knight,   
looking around and using his visor. "The   
crystal always gave him a strong will to   
do his best and survive, no matter what   
he was faced with..."  
  
"You got that right," said Raye.  
  
Mercury Knight pointed into the forest   
with a finger.   
  
"He survived," he said, "and you're going   
to find him in that direction."  
  
"HE SURVIVED!!" yelled Raye.  
  
Mercury Knight quieted her down. "Ssh!   
Calm yourself down. After all, being   
another one of the crystal carriers, it   
does help my search a bit... Now, go ahead   
and walk over there. I'll be right behind   
you."  
  
Raye now held her head up high as she   
began to walk toward the bushes that were   
in front of her.  
  
She was just inches away from the first   
set of bushes...  
  
"BOO!"  
  
Raye yelped and fell back onto the   
ground.  
  
"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! You really think I   
was going to stay in there after all   
that?"  
  
Raye's eyes went wide open.  
  
"G... Grandpa?"  
  
Grandpa Hino smiled. "Yep, iiiinnnnnn   
person!"  
  
Raye's tears became tears of joy as she   
got off the ground and wrapped her arms   
around Grandpa... tighter than handcuffs   
would feel.  
  
"Oh, was my granddaughter worried?"  
  
"Yes..." said Raye, "very much..."  
  
"Grandpa," said Mercury Knight, "I'm   
willing to bet that you did something to   
Phobos and Deimos."  
  
Raye looked at Mercury Knight.  
  
"Who are you?" said Grandpa.  
  
"I'm the Mercury Knight, have you heard   
of me?"  
  
"Oh yeah, yeah, Raye talks a lot about   
how you save the world and all that... well   
anyway I felt something come out of me,   
as if I was fighting an evil force that   
was in my presence before," said Grandpa.  
  
"Yeah," said Raye, "that was the time   
Chad entered the shrine and you started   
to act strange!"  
  
"That was Grandpa's natural reaction to   
the negative energy," said Mercury   
Knight.  
  
"Negative energy?" asked Grandpa.  
  
"Don't worry about that," said Raye,   
hugging her Grandpa again. "What's   
important is that you are safe."  
  
Raye then looked back at the shrine. "Too   
bad I can't say the same for home," she   
said.  
  
"Oh, Raye, look on the bright side, at   
least we can finally become one of those   
other shrines that they tear down and   
rebuild every twenty years, or something   
like that."  
  
Raye smiled when she understood that   
Grandpa wanted to rebuild their shrine...   
and their home. She looked up to Mercury   
Knight. "Thank you very much for finding   
him."  
  
"You're welcome," said Mercury Knight,   
who started to walk away.  
  
"Wait!" cried Raye. "Where are you   
going?"  
  
"Back to the others," he said. "You stay   
there with your Grandpa until the two of   
you have enough strength back."  
  
  
Mercury Knight walked back to the   
promenade. Sailor Mini Mercury ran   
forward. "What happened?"  
  
"Grandpa is all right!" he said.  
  
Everyone cheered... especially Chad, who   
was tending to the birds at that moment.  
  
"Grandpa's back, and the birds are, too!"   
said Sailor Jupiter.  
  
"Great!" said Mercury Knight. "Then I   
have to talk to you guys about   
something."  
  
Sailor Venus and the others looked at   
Mercury Knight.  
  
"What's up?" she asked.  
  
Mercury Knight looked at the shrine, then   
at the group again.  
  
"I think Grandpa could use our help."  
  
  
**********************************  
Can everyone get together to rebuild the Shrine?  
  
Find out in Chapter 24 of The Saga of Mercury. 


	24. Rebuilding and Friendship

IN MEMORIAM  
-----------  
This chapter is dedicated to the seven  
astronauts that America and the world lost  
on February 1, 2003, in the Space Shuttle  
Columbia disaster.  
  
May their souls, through the mercy of God,  
rest in peace.  
-----------  
  
Visit the NEW WEB SITE for The Saga of Mercury!  
You can view two drawings by Anime artist Scortia and  
download chapters in PDF format by visiting:  
http://members.aol.com/jrhorse98/sagaofmercury/index.html  
and clicking on the "Graphics" link.  
  
You can also view these chapters at:  
http://www.fanfiction.net  
http://www.moonromance.net  
http://www.mediaminer.org/fanfic  
http://www.fandomination.net  
http://www.efanfiction.net  
http://www.soupfiction.net  
  
Chapters are also posted weekly at the Sailor Moon newsgroup:  
news:alt.fan.sailor-moon  
  
**********  
DISCLAIMER  
  
As usual, "Sailor Moon" and all related characters  
are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, TOEI  
Animation and other agencies.  
  
The Saga of Mercury story is copyrighted by me, however  
content in some chapters is based on the Mercury  
Knight Stories as described in the Chapter 1 Introduction.  
**********  
  
  
  
The Saga of Mercury  
Chapter 24   
Rebuilding and Friendship  
  
News of the fiery destruction of the   
Hikawa Shrine reached every part of   
Tokyo.. of the country.. even the entire   
world..  
  
..and, the Negaverse.  
  
Quartzia was about to tell Sorinya the   
great news... but there was one problem.  
  
She's STILL snoring? Quartzia thought to   
herself. Well then, in that case, I have   
to do something that will wake her up..   
the destruction of the shrine has   
emotionally weakened the sailor scouts.   
Soon I will unleash my latest plan,   
en route to the destruction of SAILOR   
MERCURY!  
  
Quartzia chuckled to herself as Sorinya   
continued to snore.  
  
  
Quartzia expected the destruction of   
Hikawa Shrine to emotionally destroy the   
bond of the sailor scouts and knights.  
  
But the result that Quartzia expected...   
was otherwise.  
  
The shrine's destruction was big news, so   
much that many prominent people in the   
political, entertainment and wealthy   
groups of the city donated money for the   
rebuilding of the shrine. One such   
entertainer was reported to have said   
that Hikawa was "a treasure of Japan that   
we must not lose forever."  
  
The rebuilding of the shrine began three   
days after its destruction. Amy and Greg   
were able to get together to design   
blueprints for the shrine, based what it   
originally looked like.  
  
The entire team of sailor scouts and   
knights, together with local construction   
workers and other skilled volunteers,   
began to reconstruct the shrine, working   
different shifts, around the clock, to   
put the pieces in place.  
  
Grandpa Hino, Chad and Raye oversaw the   
entire reconstruction process, and spent   
their nights at the home of a very   
special friend...  
  
Serena Tsukino.  
  
It was not more than three weeks since   
the start of the rebuilding process that   
everything was finished... and everything   
was restored to the way it was before the   
fiery destruction occurred.  
  
The sailor scouts and knights went to   
Hikawa Shrine to help Grandpa, Raye and   
Chad settle back in, and to post flyers   
announcing the grand re-opening of the   
shrine, which would occur in a few days.  
  
They all went around and through the   
shrine... and they were all satisfied.  
  
A beaming Raye was extremely happy.   
"Thanks guys! I really appreciate all   
that you've done for us."  
  
"Hey girl," said Lita, "You're one of our   
closest friends.. you're like sisters to   
us... we love you so much, we just couldn't   
pass up on this."  
  
"I think I'm going to perform a song,"   
said Chad.  
  
Raye had a sweatdrop on her head. "Uh, no   
thank you, Chad, there are many priests   
that are coming for the re-dedication   
ceremony, that's enough fanfare for us, I   
think."  
  
"But I really want to re-open the shrine   
with LOTS of fanfare!"  
  
"You can go over to the new charms stand,   
that's what you can do!"  
  
Greg smiled and whispered to Amy, "Yep,   
they're back to normal."  
  
Turning to Ken, Greg asked, "Do you have   
everything planned for the re-opening?"  
  
"Uh, yeah," said Ken, "we have about   
fifteen priests coming in, and they'll   
perform the re-dedication ceremony.   
First, Raye and the mayor are going to   
give brief speeches at the entrance at   
the bottom of the stairs.  
  
"Then the priests will perform, and then   
we'll close everything out with   
fireworks."  
  
"Fireworks?" asked Greg.  
  
"Yeah," replied Ken. "They're going to   
shoot some fireworks high in the air from   
Hitosugi Park."  
  
"Who ever suggested fireworks?" asked   
Greg.  
  
Mina stepped in between the two   
gentlemen, and said in a royal voice,   
"That would be me, Miss Beauty! I've got   
to add some pizzaz to the ceremony, too,   
you know."  
  
Jamie then stepped in. "And just who do   
you think is going to approve a fireworks   
display?"  
  
Mina smiled and looked confident, saying,   
"I spoke to Raye's grandfather about it   
and he likes the idea."  
  
"Well then," said Jamie, "he's the owner..   
if he likes it, then.."  
  
"...There's not much we can really do other   
than respect his request," said Greg, who   
was looking around. "Where did he go,   
anyway?"  
  
"Ha," said a laughing Ken, "must be happy   
with his new place that he... got lost, or   
something..."  
  
Amara and Michelle stepped forward. "I'm   
worried that the Negacreeps are planning   
something," said Amara.  
  
"I am too," said Amy, "and that's why   
I've come up with a plan to make sure   
that nothing serious happens."  
  
"What do you think?" asked Michelle.  
  
"Well, Greg and I will be transformed   
from the start of the ceremonies to the   
end of the fireworks... maybe a bit longer...   
and we'll be using our computers and   
scanners to see if we pick up anything.   
If we do find something then we will let   
you know on the cell phones and   
communicators."  
  
"It's a good plan," said Greg.  
  
"I just want to love someone like you,"   
sung Chad in a loud voice.  
  
Everyone had to cover their ears...   
including Serena.  
  
"And they think I'm pathetic..." she said.  
  
  
The day of the re-opening of Hikawa   
Shrine finally arrived. At 4 PM, the town   
mayor and Raye were ready to deliver   
their speeches in front of the hundreds   
of people -- and several news cameras --   
that had showed up.  
  
Standing at the front of the crowd were   
Serena, Darien, Ken, Lita and Mina.  
  
Jamie was at the back of the crowd, as   
the lookout... with a close eye on Sailor   
Mercury and Mercury Knight, who were   
hidden at the top of one of the   
buildings, visors activated, scanning for   
signs of evil activity.  
  
As for Amara and Michelle... they were   
nowhere near the Hikawa Shrine. Instead   
they were in the Porsche, on their way to   
pick up Rini and Sasha from their first   
day of school.  
  
The mayor was in the process of giving a   
short but rousing speech. "This shrine is   
a testament to our past, the present, and   
our future," he said. "It is a landmark   
for all of Japan, and I am very happy to   
see the re-building process completed   
today."  
  
Sailor Mercury, visor activated, was   
switching her attention frequently from   
scanning for evil to listening to the   
speeches, and applauded when she heard   
the mayor.  
  
"What do you think Raye's going to say?"   
said Mercury Knight.  
  
"Well, she's about to speak," said Sailor   
Mercury.  
  
The two kept switching their attention   
between one thing and the other as Raye   
began her speech.  
  
"When I was a very young girl," she   
started, "I never understood what living   
and worshipping in a shrine was all   
about. All I knew was that I had a   
grandpa who would sometimes be wacky... but   
would always love him very much. Then the   
years pass... and we come to today. I..."  
  
Raye shivered a bit as she continued.  
  
"I have just passed through one of the   
darkest moments of my entire life. I saw   
what happened to the shrine... but I knew   
that when the smoke had cleared, we would   
rebuild. Not only the shrine, but also a   
new set of memories. But we cannot forget   
the past. The memories of the past now   
join the memories of today, and of the   
future, as we re-open this shrine to   
everyone. In it all, my grandfather, my   
boyfriend and companion Chad, and many,   
many friends, have contributed to making   
this all possible."  
  
Everyone clapped.  
  
"There are two people in particular that   
I would like to thank for everything that   
they have done for us..."  
  
Raye was cut off by sudden gusts of wind,   
which began to blow in from two different   
directions.  
  
Dust was starting to kick up from the   
ground, and everyone had to close their   
eyes.  
  
Sailor Mercury and Mercury Knight tried   
to locate where the wind was coming from...   
but were dumbfounded. "I really can't   
tell from where," said Mercury Knight.   
"The amount of dust is making it hard..."  
  
The dust storm prompted everyone to take   
shelter in the lobbies of the buildings   
that were across the street.  
  
Chad went into one of the buildings with   
Grandpa Hino, while Raye, Serena, Darien,   
Ken, Lita, Mina and Jamie stayed outside.  
  
Raye ran down from the podium and   
attempted to find the others. She could   
see where they were... barely.  
  
"They're getting ready to transform,"   
said Sailor Mercury, deactivating her   
visor.  
  
"We'd better join them," said Mercury   
Knight, doing the same.  
  
Sailor Mercury and Mercury Knight   
proceeded to jump off the roof to join   
their friends...  
  
Or so they thought...  
  
When they found that their feet had been   
frozen to the ground.  
  
"Oh, crap," went Mercury Knight.  
  
"It appears that we're stuck!" yelled   
Sailor Mercury.  
  
Mercury Knight looked at his princess.   
"NO, REALLY?" he responded.  
  
It was then that they heard evil laughter   
emanating from behind them.  
  
They turned around to see...  
  
"Behold! I am Quartzia, loyal servant to   
Queen Sorinya and the Negaverse! I have   
come to wreak havoc on anyone that stands   
in the way of the Negaverse!"  
  
"Which means that I'll have to step in to   
fix that," said Mercury Knight, reaching   
for his sword.  
  
Quartzia snapped her fingers. Before they   
knew it, Sailor Mercury and Mercury   
Knight found their hands at their sides,   
unable to move them.  
  
"Right now, there's nothing you can do   
about the dust cloud, or ME!" yelled   
Quartzia. "The one that currently stands   
in the way of the Negaverse is Sailor   
Mercury, and I have come to carry out her   
destruction!"  
  
"You'll never be able to destroy us!"   
said Sailor Mercury.  
  
"Oh I see," said Quartzia, "you two love   
each other? Well then I'll make sure   
you're all together..."  
  
Another snap of the fingers sent the feet   
of the two sliding together, until Sailor   
Mercury and Mercury Knight ended up back   
to back.  
  
"Now, I may not be one nice person to   
deal with, but I'm willing to make a deal   
with you..."  
  
"NO! We make no deals with you!" said   
Mercury Knight.  
  
"Well, maybe you'll think twice after you   
see what I'll put on the table..."  
  
With that, Quartzia made two bright   
bubbles of air appear on either side of   
her.  
  
Inside these bubbles, unconscious, were...  
  
"Rini?" said Mercury Knight.  
  
"SASHA!" yelled Sailor Mercury.  
  
"You wouldn't!" yelled Mercury Knight.  
  
"Oh I think I would... now I don't have a   
lot of time so I'll make this quick... you   
have two choices... you can either forfeit   
your actual powers to the Negaverse, and   
you live out your normal, insignificant   
lives, and I spare these two young   
children that I plucked out of school   
early today... or you can keep your powers,   
live out your normal, insignificant   
lives... be the superheroes that everyone   
keeps talking about... and these two   
children belong to the Negaverse,   
FOREVER!"  
  
"NO!" wailed Sailor Mercury who was   
starting to shed a tear.  
  
Mercury Knight was stunned. Give up his   
power... or give up the children... the ones   
who would be the future of the moon   
kingdom.  
  
There was a long pause...  
  
"Make up your mind... oh did I tell you... if   
you waste time and don't give me an   
answer... the two of you... will DIE!"  
  
Which forced Sailor Mercury to say:   
"Greg?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I'm going to miss being Sailor Mercury."  
  
"You are, eh? Well... I'm going to miss   
being... your knight in shining armor. But   
I'll love you nonetheless."  
  
"And I will love you, too, for as long as   
I live."  
  
"So," said Quartzia, "you've officially   
made up your mind?"  
  
"Yes," said Mercury Knight. "We have   
chosen to..."  
  
"To KICK YOUR REAR END!" said a voice   
from above.  
  
Quartzia, Sailor Mercury and Mercury   
Knight looked high overhead.  
  
The wind was still strong, blowing leaves   
and flower petals, as two familiar faces   
descended onto the rooftop.  
  
"I hate it when someone always interferes   
with our affairs. Whether it's down and   
dirty, or something as little as   
snatching the kids we try to pick up from   
school. Your irate behavior toward them   
will not be tolerated anymore! I'm SAILOR   
URANUS!"  
  
"And I am SAILOR NEPTUNE. Release those   
two girls right this minute, or we shall   
have to harm you."  
  
Quartzia extended her hand, sending a   
huge gust of wind that almost knocked   
Uranus and Neptune to the ground.  
  
"Uranus!" said Mercury Knight.  
  
"Neptune!" yelled Sailor Mercury.  
  
Sailor Uranus stood straight up and took   
a few steps forward. "THAT'S IT," she   
yelled, extending her right hand upward.   
"WORLD SHAKING!"  
  
The World Shaking attack squarely hit   
Quartzia, vibrating her all over and   
bursting the bubbles that Sasha and Rini   
were in. The two collapsed hard onto the   
rooftop.  
  
The attack also cut off Quartzia's hold   
on Sailor Mercury and Mercury Knight, as   
the two found themselves freely moving   
their feet and hands again.  
  
Mercury Knight looked at Sasha... then at   
Sailor Neptune.  
  
"I know what you're thinking," said   
Neptune, raising her arms above her head.   
"DEEP SUBMERGE!"  
  
"MERCURY ICE BLADE CHARGE!"  
  
"SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!"  
  
The combined attack of the three sent   
super cooled water toward Quartzia. It   
froze all around her immediately upon   
contact.  
  
With Quartzia in an icy shell, unable to   
move, Mercury Knight said "And now, it's   
time to take you off the air."  
  
"STOP!" yelled a voice from behind.  
  
Mercury Knight turned his head. So did   
the other sailors.  
  
Standing on the rooftop, having ascended   
above the dust...  
  
...Was Sailor Mars.  
  
Sailor Mars, an angry look that matched   
the color of her long flowing hair,   
marched straight past everyone... and   
toward Quartzia.  
  
"I'd let her finish it off," said Mercury   
Knight.  
  
"Let's make sure she doesn't go over the   
edge..." said Sailor Mercury.  
  
"YOU..." said Sailor Mars. "YOU... YOU WERE   
THE ONE THAT CAUSED THE DESTRUCTION TO   
THE HIKAWA SHRINE! YOU WERE THE ONE THAT   
MADE PHOBOS AND DEIMOS INTO YOUR   
TEMPORARY SERVANTS TO WREAK HAVOC ON   
EVERYTHING!"  
  
Quartzia responded... but her response was   
mumbled thanks to the ice that was   
surrounding her.  
  
Sailor Mars brought her hands together.   
"YOU MUST PAY FOR THE DESTRUCTION THAT   
YOU'VE CAUSED... BURNING MANDALA!"  
  
With those words, Sailor Mars sent the   
largest Burning Mandala attack of her   
life to the frozen Quartzia... who could do   
nothing as the rings of fire burned   
through the ice, and burned through her.  
  
Quartzia, who was now in flames, was able   
to yell out...  
  
"IT'S... NOT... OVER!"  
  
She, and the fire, disappeared in a puff   
of yellow smoke.  
  
Sailor Mars collapsed onto her knees.   
Mercury Knight, Sailor Mercury, Sailor   
Uranus and Sailor Neptune ran up to her.  
  
Sailor Mars smiled. "I'm very happy now."  
  
"I'm proud of you," said Mercury Knight.   
"You didn't get your emotions too far   
ahead of you and repeat that attack out   
of retribution."  
  
"I wonder how the others are doing,"   
asked Mars.  
  
"I wonder how the girls are doing!" said   
Sailor Mercury.  
  
Sailors Mercury and Neptune attended to   
Rini and Sasha, while Sailor Uranus,   
Sailor Mars and Mercury Knight looked   
down off the rooftop and to the street,   
where the dust had now completely   
cleared.  
  
Serena, Darien, Lita, Ken, Mina and Jamie   
were all starting to get on their feet...   
all covered in dust.  
  
"You guys could use a shower!" yelled   
Mercury Knight.  
  
"Oh, be quiet," said Jamie with a smile.   
"Is everything all right up there?"  
  
"Another creep the Negaverse caused   
this," said Uranus. "She's out, but not   
gone."  
  
"Her name is Quartzia," said Mercury   
Knight.  
  
"How's Chad and Grandpa?" asked Sailor   
Mars.  
  
"They're all doing fine, they've been   
inside on the ground floor all this   
time," said Darien. "I bet with the dust   
cloud, they couldn't have seen a thing."  
  
"Blecch! Blecch! cough-cough blech!" said   
Serena, coughing up dirt and trying to   
shake the dirt off her clothes. "OH!" she   
moaned, "the dirt got on my new jeans!"  
  
"Call everyone out, I'll de-transform and   
finish my speech," said Sailor Mars.  
  
The others respected Sailor Mars' request   
and brought everyone outside.  
  
  
When everyone had found their way back to   
the shrine's steps, Raye re-appeared and   
apologized. "It's very unusual that dust   
storms are caused by the weather around   
here. Now I think I was about to talk   
about the people that I wanted to thank   
for helping all of us out..."  
  
As Raye was speaking, Sailor Mercury and   
Mercury Knight were on the rooftop with   
Sailor Mini Moon and Sailor Mini Mercury,   
who had transformed. Sailors Uranus and   
Neptune had already de-transformed and   
had gone down to street level.  
  
"I don't know what was going on," said   
Mini Moon.  
  
"My teacher was acting strange today,"   
said Mini Mercury.  
  
"Really?" said Mercury Knight. "Well in   
that case we have to keep an eye on your   
school in the future..."  
  
"There are two people that I'd like to   
thank in particular for everything that   
they've done for us," continued Raye.  
  
"Perhaps," said Mercury Knight, "some of   
the teachers are being influenced by the   
Negaverse, so we wouldn't want to see..."  
  
"Quiet!" said Sailor Mercury.  
  
"What?" asked Mercury Knight.  
  
"Raye... Raye's talking about us!"  
  
"Us?"  
  
"Amy and Greg are two very special   
friends," said Raye. "I might not match   
to them when it comes to IQ, but since   
they're smart, they've been the ones that   
have helped us out the most. With their   
heart, their dedication, and their love...   
well, we may have not finished this in a   
short amount of time."  
  
"What do you think of that?" said Mercury   
Knight.  
  
"I... I don't know what to say!" said   
Sailor Mercury.  
  
"I'm happy that you two have made a   
difference!" said Sailor Mini Mercury.  
  
"We'll have to make up for what she said   
then," said Mercury Knight.  
  
"I wonder why she hasn't mentioned   
Serena?" said Mini Moon.  
  
"Also," said Raye, "on the subject of   
friendship, there's another true friend   
named Serena."  
  
Serena took a step back and covered her   
mouth.  
  
"There!" said Mini Moon.  
  
"I don't know if there's a better, truer,   
more loyal friend that I have than   
Serena. We share a lot of common   
interests... and we also share a lot of   
common differences... we fight sometimes,   
but after every fight, I think to myself   
that fighting actually brings us closer."  
  
Serena was crying... but not loudly like   
she normally does.  
  
"Make no mistake, I love all of my   
friends... but when you really come down to   
basics, Serena's the one I hold close to   
my heart. I love her very much."  
  
Serena ran onto the stage and hugged the   
life out of Raye.  
  
The news reporters were off and running,   
taking the best photos that they could.  
  
"And I love you TOO!!!" yelled a teary   
Serena.  
  
After a few seconds, Raye relinquished   
herself from Serena. "Ok, that's enough,"   
she said. "With that," she said,   
directing her attention to the crowd, "I   
hereby declare the Hikawa Shrine OPEN!"  
  
Cheers from the crowd rose again as the   
press conference drew to a close.  
  
Shortly thereafter, the priests began to   
file into the shrine, one by one, to say   
their blessings.  
  
  
As the sky became darker, it was almost   
time to start the fireworks show.  
  
The entire sailor team was on the roof   
for a high view of the pyrotechnic   
spectacular, except for Chad, who decided   
to watch the fireworks with Grandpa Hino   
from inside the shrine.  
  
Everyone was in regular clothes, except   
for Sailor Mercury and Mercury Knight,   
who were still in their fuku and uniform,   
respectively, still searching for any   
last sign of evil.  
  
It was a long day, and Sailor Mercury and   
Mercury Knight were starting to feel a   
bit tired.  
  
The fireworks began to the delight of   
everyone... and the intensity of the   
fireworks kept the two from Mercury   
awake.  
  
Sasha was sitting down with her future   
parents. "This is wonderful!" she said.  
  
"Oh yeah, fireworks are supposed to be   
wonderful. Do you know that they were   
designed in..."  
  
Mercury Knight stopped when Sasha's head   
began to lean against his body.  
  
"Sasha, are you all right?"  
  
Sasha rolled her big blue eyes up to look   
at Greg, and nodded her head.  
  
Mercury Knight then turned to Sailor   
Mercury... who had leaned on his shoulder,   
then and there.  
  
Mercury Knight thought for a moment. "Oh,   
well," he said, wrapping his arms around   
the two of them.  
  
Everyone enjoyed the fireworks display.   
When it was over, Darien asked everyone   
to look his way.  
  
Darien was seated with Serena and Rini.  
  
Rini was giggling, but quieted by Darien   
quickly.  
  
Darien then turned to Serena.  
  
"I'll make this nice and quick, Serena,"   
he said, holding out a closed rose.   
  
"What's up with that rose, Darien?" asked   
Jamie.  
  
Darien just smiled at him... then looked   
back at Serena. "Ever since I knew you   
were going to be the future Moon   
Princess, I knew that some day I had to   
fulfill our destiny. I'd like to take   
that step real soon..."  
  
Darien reached into the center of the   
rose, and pulled out...  
  
A crescent... diamond... ring.  
  
Serena gasped. So did the rest of the   
girls.  
  
"Darien?" said Mercury Knight.  
  
"Greg!" responded Darien before turning   
back to Serena.  
  
Darien shook for a moment before   
steadying himself.   
  
"Serena Tsukino," he said, "when you   
finish all of your school work, and I   
know you will... I want to know if you   
would do me the honor... of becoming my   
wife."   
  
Immediately, Greg felt something from   
inside, and whispered to Amy, "Stand by,   
something's going to happen to Serena..."  
  
Serena looked at the ring...   
  
And fainted.  
  
  
************************  
Join us next time for The Saga of Mercury. 


	25. The First Day

Visit the NEW WEB SITE for The Saga of Mercury!  
You can view two drawings by Anime artist Scortia and  
download chapters in PDF format by visiting:  
  
  
  
You can also view these chapters at:  
  
  
  
  
  
  
and coming soon,   
  
Chapters are also posted every two weeks   
at the Sailor Moon newsgroup: news:alt.fan.sailor-moon  
  
**********  
DISCLAIMER  
  
As usual, "Sailor Moon" and all related characters  
are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, TOEI  
Animation and other agencies.  
  
The Saga of Mercury story is copyrighted by me, however  
content in some chapters is based on the Mercury  
Knight Stories as described in the Chapter 1 Introduction.  
**********  
  
The Saga of Mercury  
Chapter 25   
The First Day  
  
It was a cool and misty afternoon in the   
park near the newly rebuilt Hikawa   
Shrine, where Amy and Sasha had gathered   
for an afternoon mother-and-daughter... or   
should we say, future mother-and-future   
daughter picnic.  
  
Sasha was wearing a yellow shirt with red   
horizontal stripes, and blue jeans with   
suspenders. She was with Amy, in the same   
blue dress and blue shoes that she wore   
when she kissed Greg for the first time   
(at the train station), carrying the   
picnic basket.  
  
The grass in the park was slightly wet,   
dampened from the weather of the day.  
  
Amy stopped walking and said, "This will   
be a good spot, right under this tree."  
  
Amy took out the large yellow blanket   
that was in the picnic basket and spread   
it out on the grass. Amy and Sasha then   
sat down and relaxed.  
  
"That was a lot of walking," said Sasha.  
  
"Hope it was a good workout for you,"   
said Amy. "I wanted to find the perfect   
spot, anyway."  
  
Amy took out the sandwiches that she and   
Sasha had prepared earlier in the day.  
  
While they were eating, Sasha asked,   
"Whatever happened to Serena?"  
  
"What about her? Oh, do you mean Darien's   
proposal?" said Amy.  
  
"Yes, did Serena give an answer? She was   
sleeping from the moment he asked her."  
  
Amy smiled. "I'm afraid she passed out   
for the entire night, but I heard from   
Raye that when she got up from bed this   
morning, the first thing she said was   
'yes!'"  
  
"Great!" yelled Sasha. "So they'll wait   
until Serena is done with school before   
they get married, right?"  
  
"Yes, that's the plan..."  
  
Amy's face was frozen, her head fixed on   
a thought.  
  
"What it is, Amy?"  
  
"Well... nothing..."  
  
"Come on," said Sasha. "When my mom   
looked like that, she was thinking of   
something... which means you're thinking of   
something!"  
  
Amy was blushing.  
  
"Oh... you're probably thinking that Greg   
should ask you to marry him, right?"  
  
"Oh, Sasha!" giggled Amy.  
  
"It's true! It has to happen, or else I   
wouldn't be here!"  
  
Amy looked at Sasha. "You're right! Greg   
and I do have to get married before you   
become our daughter... which means that   
soon, he has to..."  
  
Amy then looked up into the sky. "Oh, the   
times I've had with Greg..."  
  
Sasha gave Amy another sandwich, which   
she ate.  
  
"I remember my mother telling me the   
story of how you met."  
  
Amy gulped down her bite before speaking.   
"When, the time he temporarily moved into   
my school a few years ago?"  
  
"No, not that," said Sasha. "The OTHER   
time."  
  
Amy thought for a moment. "You don't   
mean... on planet Mercury..."  
  
"Yep, do you remember?"  
  
Amy smiled, then thought again. "I'd have   
to think about it... Greg still has his   
rainbow crystal powers, so if I were to   
ask him then he'd tell me," said Amy.  
  
"But he's at a job interview..." said   
Sasha. "Don't worry, I can help you   
remember... It was during the Silver   
Millenium, you were in your room..."  
***************************************  
Princess Amy was in her room in the high   
tower of her palace on the planet   
Mercury.  
  
It was a very busy day for her. She had   
just passed her latest sailor scout exam   
along with the princesses from the other   
planets. After all, if she wanted to   
become the Sailor Scout of her planet,   
she had to train hard at it. It wasn't   
easy, but she did everything perfectly.   
And the good news was, there was only one   
more test to go before she'd become a   
fully certified sailor soldier.  
  
One... BIG test.  
  
Amy was lying on her large double king-  
sized bed, ready to fall asleep. She   
wanted to forget the word "big."  
  
YAWN went the princess. I'm pooped, she   
said to herself. I'm just going to write   
in my diary and then take a nap...  
  
Being the smartest of all of the   
princesses, Amy already had plotted out   
in her head what she was going to write.   
She was going to write about her   
performance in today's exam, how her   
princess friends felt, and how they fared   
as well.  
  
Knock-knock went the door.  
  
"Come in!" said Amy.  
  
Opening the tall door from the upper   
hallway.. was King Francis, the father of   
Princess Amy.  
  
"Hello, Amy, how did you do?"  
  
"I passed the exam, dad," she said.  
  
"That's my daughter," said the king. "I...   
I've been hiding something from you...   
actually, your mom and I... for the past   
few weeks...   
  
Amy looked at her father with a puzzled   
look.  
  
"A surprise," he said.  
  
Amy jumped out of her bed.  
  
"Surprise?"  
  
"Yep, and it's out front, with the castle   
herald, if you want to take a look."  
  
Amy was about to run to the window to   
see...  
  
"No, no, no you don't, come with me,   
please," said Francis.  
  
Amy was still puzzled as her father   
walked her out of the room, and down the   
grand staircase, to the castle entrance.  
  
Soon, Amy and her father were standing in   
front of the closed gate.  
  
"Do you want to open the door?" asked   
King Francis.  
  
"All right," said Amy.  
  
Amy opened the door.  
  
In the promenade outside the castle, Amy   
could see the black-tie herald speaking   
casually to a uniformed navy soldier. She   
then looked all around.  
  
"Where is it," she asked.  
  
"Right there," said Francis, pointing to   
the soldier. "Gregory, here she is!"  
  
The soldier then stood at attention in   
front of the king and her daughter.  
  
Amy didn't know what to say... and before   
she knew it she was standing face to face   
with the soldier.  
  
Francis turned to the herald. "Michael?"  
  
The herald then announced the guest.  
  
"Your highness," the herald announced,   
"This is Gregory, the youngest captain of   
the naval forces of Mercury. He is   
expected to be promoted to vice admiral   
within the week, as he has been assigned   
by your mother and father, the King and   
Queen, to protect and defend you from any   
entity that may pose a threat to our   
planet."  
  
"What?" said Amy.  
  
"You, and all of us, may refer to Gregory   
as the Mercury Knight," said the Herald.   
"He will be given this title at the same   
promotion ceremony."  
  
Captain Gregory removed his hat, then   
took Princess Amy's hand and kissed it.   
"May I say," he said, "it is a high honor   
to finally meet you."  
  
Princess Amy responded by speaking as   
fast as a horse racing announcer: "Uh... hi   
there Gregory.. er, Mercury Knight, knight   
to meet you, uh... I mean, NICE to meet you   
too, I really don't need a protector, I   
can defend myself because I am a Sailor   
Scout, now, I have to go now."  
  
"Go?" asked Gregory, chuckling. "First,   
'now I have to go now' isn't a proper way   
to end a sentence. And second, with all   
due respect, Princess, we just met!"  
  
"And you're not a Sailor Scout yet," said   
King Francis. "Are you all right?"  
  
"Uh... uh... I promised to go see Serena on   
the moon... bye!" the Princess said,   
running back into the castle.  
  
"Amy! What are you doing? Come back here   
right this minute!"  
  
Normally the princess would respond at   
once to whatever her mother and father   
asked her to do.  
  
But not this time.  
  
After a moment, King Francis had thought   
of something.  
  
"Well, she's always been shy around young   
men... she claims she doesn't have time to   
deal with suitors."  
  
"I see," said Gregory.  
  
"But your majesty," said Michael, the   
herald, "You don't have much time left on   
Mercury... your health is failing..."  
  
"Come, now!" said Gregory to the herald.   
"How can you speak to the king like   
that?"  
  
"No, no, Gregory, it's true..." said the   
king. "I'm.. I'm getting old.. he's right,   
I DON'T have much time left. I.. have to   
remind myself of that each and every   
day."  
  
"Let's not worry about your health right   
now," said Gregory. "Let's worry about   
Princess Amy. Is it like her to skip out   
like that?"  
  
"When meeting young men, yes, but not   
with anyone else," said the king. "You'd   
better stay here talking to Michael some   
more, while I try to go upstairs to talk   
to her."  
  
"Yes, sir," said Gregory.  
  
As the king was walking back into the   
castle, Gregory asked the herald, "I   
wonder what she's all scared about."  
  
The king turned back to Gregory for a   
moment. "She's afraid she'll fall in love   
with you," he said before walking in.  
  
Gregory looked at Michael. "I see," he   
said with a smile. "Well from the start   
I'll have to be strictly business.   
Besides it isn't really my intention to   
have any romantic interest..."  
  
"Ah, you're not like the others then,"   
said Michael.  
  
"Others?"  
  
"Yes, sir," said Michael. "Such as   
Captain James on the planet Venus,   
Lieutenant Chadwick on Mars, Defense   
Officer Kenneth on Jupiter, and Prince   
Darien on Earth."  
  
"They... they are the protectors of the   
princesses of their respective planets,   
except for Darien who is the protector of   
the moon princess, Serena, right?"  
  
"Correct," said Michael. "And each of   
those princesses have fallen in love with   
their protectors."  
  
"But what about Amy? According to the   
king, she's not like the others in that   
way," said Gregory.  
  
"Keep in mind, sir, that since she is the   
only child, eventually she will have to   
take over as the Queen of Mercury... and by   
the decree of our ancestors, she must   
have a king."  
  
"Yeah, well I honestly don't think it'll   
be me," said Gregory.  
  
"Don't count yourself out," said Michael.   
"You never know..."  
  
A computer alarm from outside the castle   
interrupted Michael.  
  
CODE THREE SIX ONE... HIGH ALERT, went the   
computer. Loud, blaring alarms could then   
be heard throughout the immediate area.  
  
"361, that's a Negaverse attack! We've   
got to secure the castle!" said Michael.  
  
"My first test as Mercury Knight comes   
this fast, eh?" said Gregory. "All right.   
I'm going up to protect the princess.   
What are you going to do?"  
  
"Run to battle stations and boost the   
deflector shield," said Michael.  
  
"Ok," said Gregory, running into the   
castle.  
Meanwhile, Amy was in her room when the   
alarms began to sound in her room. She   
quickly ran up and pressed the "silent"   
button to stop the alarms.  
  
Immediately, the doors in her room were   
locked automatically, and steel plates   
began to stretch down from the ceiling   
and over the windows.   
  
Princess Amy was now inside her room -- by   
herself. Just in case, she could use the   
red emergency phone to call central   
command, where her mother and father   
would be during high alerts.  
  
Until she became a Sailor Scout, this   
would be the same routine every time High   
or Severe alerts were issued.  
  
She would be locked in her room.  
  
The only way she'd be outside her room   
would be if the alert was Low or Medium,   
or if it was Critical... in the latter case   
she'd then be with her mother and father   
in Central Command.  
  
It was the perfect opportunity, in her   
opinion, to start her diary entry. She   
had it all figured out... she could not   
believe that a young man was ordered to   
protect her... and she was going to tell   
her diary how much she disliked it.  
  
Suddenly, the door to her room creaked   
open, and she heard a knock.  
  
"Excuse me, Princess? This is Gregory,   
uh.. I have my orders to protect you now..   
may I come in?"  
  
Amy was about to say no... but then   
realized that her mother and father had   
chosen a protector in the best interests   
of their only child, and the future ruler   
of Mercury.  
  
"Come in," she said.  
  
The soon to be Mercury Knight made his   
way into Amy's room and closed the door...   
which then locked on its own again.  
  
"I guess... they taught you how to get in   
here," said Amy.  
  
"You mean override the computers, yes,"   
said Gregory. "I was reluctant to learn   
that at first, since that would equal an   
invasion of privacy, but then I learned   
it was a security request from your   
mother and father."  
  
"I see," said Amy.  
  
Gregory kept in his head the fact that he   
wanted to keep his relationship with the   
princess strictly business, no fooling   
around...   
  
Until he looked at Amy, wearing her blue   
gown, more carefully...  
  
"I have to say, not only are you smart,   
but you are..."  
  
Amy cut him off. "They told you I was   
smart?"   
  
"They did... so hey, that's one thing in   
common! You're smart and so am I. I guess   
that's how I moved up in the ranks in   
such a small amount of time," said   
Gregory.  
  
Amy thought for a moment.   
  
"All right," she said with a smile, "if   
you're really smart, then try this...  
  
"There are 375 freshmen, 293 sophomores,   
187 juniors, & 126 seniors in the high   
school. One student will randomly be   
chosen to receive an award. What percent   
chance is there that it will be a   
junior?"  
  
Gregory smiled. "Good one," he said. "But   
it's too easy, take the number of juniors   
divided by the number of students, then   
multiply by 100 to get a percentage. So...   
that'd be... 19 percent!"  
  
Amy shot right back... "How many weeks have   
156 hours in them?"  
  
To which Greg immediately responded, "All   
of the weeks have 156 hours!"  
  
When Amy heard that, she asked some more   
baffling questions. Gregory got all of   
those questions correct.  
  
She froze for a moment... and did something   
very rare...  
  
"Amy... are... are you blushing?"  
  
Amy tried to keep a straight face.  
  
Gregory walked a bit closer to her.  
  
"You ARE blushing Amy, I can see it."  
  
Amy couldn't control herself.  
  
In the middle of a high state of alert   
throughout the entire castle...  
  
Princess Amy was laughing.  
  
Gregory smiled and laughed along. "What?   
What did I do?"  
  
"I'm having fun!"  
  
"Fun?" laughed Gregory, before   
straightening himself up. "Well we can't   
have too much fun if we're in high alert   
status..."  
  
Amy started to settle down, too. "Yes,   
but for the most part nowadays, when   
there's an alert, it's..."  
  
FALSE ALARM, ALERT TERMINATED blared the   
computers from inside Amy's room.  
  
Immediately afterwards, the metal doors   
covering the windows began to retract.  
  
"... A false alarm?" said Gregory,   
finishing her sentence.  
  
Amy let out a huge sigh...  
  
The red phone began to beep seconds   
later.  
  
"I think that's for you... my beautiful   
princess," said Gregory.  
  
Amy stared at Gregory for a few moments   
after he said "my beautiful princess."  
  
And Gregory was staring back at her. What   
did I just say, he thought.  
  
"Uh... thank you," said Amy, who in a   
flinch, curtsied to Gregory before going   
toward the phone.  
  
Gregory stood in astonishment as Amy   
answered the phone.  
  
"Hello father... yes I'm fine, thanks... yes,   
he's right here with me... all right...   
goodbye, father."  
  
"It was my papa," said Amy to Gregory.   
"He's confirmed it was a false alarm, and   
that the castle is safe."  
  
"Well all right then..." said Gregory. "In   
that case, there's no reason for me to be   
here any longer... I'll... I'll be in touch..."  
  
Gregory started to turn for the door.  
  
"W... wait!" said Amy. "You... have to   
leave?"  
  
Gregory turned back to Amy. "Yep, if   
there's no danger, the only times that I   
am with you are whenever you leave the   
castle. Or if you specifically ask for   
me, but I don't think you'd do that...  
otherwise, I myself go back to central   
command."  
  
"That's an awful shame... I was just   
getting to know you..." said Amy, looking   
down at her blue carpeting.  
  
"Don't worry, there will be other times   
for us to meet, I'm very sure about that.   
Perhaps I can have a word with your   
father about it."  
  
"Well," said Amy, looking back up, "if   
you think that will help, then go ahead..."  
  
"All right then," said Gregory, bowing to   
the princess. "Until next time, your   
highness."  
  
"Till then," said Amy.  
  
Gregory then got to the door... then turned   
his head back.  
  
"Do you play chess?"  
  
"Chess?" said Amy. "Of course! I'm the   
champion chess player in the entire moon   
kingdom."  
  
"That's right," said Gregory. "Perhaps   
next time we meet we can play?"  
  
Amy smiled. "Sure!"  
  
Gregory bowed his head to the princess...   
and left the room.  
  
Outside the main hallway, Gregory leaned   
back against the wall and took a deep   
breath.  
  
Inside her room, Amy collapsed onto the   
bed... and took a deep breath.  
  
We certainly are into a lot of common   
things, Gregory thought to himself. Could   
Michael be right? Could this really turn   
into something?  
  
Amy wasted no time going straight to her   
diary. She began to write to her diary   
about a wonderful person that she had   
met.  
After ten minutes had passed, Gregory was   
ready to enter Central Command, when...  
  
"Captain Gregory," said the front desk   
officer, "the princess requests your   
presence in her room."  
  
"She... but I just came from there," said   
Gregory.  
  
"I think it's princess' prerogative, if   
she wants you, you have to go," said the   
officer. "She said something about chess,   
by the way."  
  
Gregory thought... and smiled. "Thanks," he   
said to the officer, before turning   
around and heading back to Amy's room.  
***************************************  
"He came back to your room and you   
offered to play chess with him," said   
Sasha. "He accepted, and you played to a   
draw."  
  
"That's right," said Amy, her eyes shut,   
head held high, as the memories of the   
past flowed through her mind. "I can   
remember the wonderful times we had..."  
  
Eyes closed, Amy could hear the voices   
from that moment...  
  
* Greg was very handsome *, said a voice in   
her head.  
  
"Gregory was very handsome," said Amy.  
  
* I've had feelings about him ever since we   
played chess... *  
  
"I've had feelings about him ever since   
we played chess," said Amy.  
  
* He eventually told me that I was   
beautiful... *  
  
"Greg told me later that I was   
beautiful," said Amy.  
  
Sasha was snickering.  
  
* I have lovely blue hair... *  
  
"I have lovely blue hair," said Amy.  
  
* I am going to take off my shirt... *  
  
"I am going to take off... YAAAAH!"  
  
Amy yelped out a big yelp when she   
discovered that Greg was right behind   
her.  
  
Sasha and Greg laughed out loud.  
  
Amy's eyes were wide open, her heart   
having skipped several heartbeats.  
  
Amy then grabbed Greg's head and brought   
it close to hers, so that they were   
seeing eye to eye.  
  
"You sneak!" said Amy.  
  
"Sneak, what are you talking about?" said   
Greg. "After all, I've been behind you   
ever since you guys were talking about   
code 361!"  
  
Amy had a huge sweatdrop on her head, her   
head bowed slightly to the ground. "I   
don't know how I ever let myself get   
carried away like that..."  
  
"Those were some of your fondest memories   
of the Silver Millenium," said Greg. "I   
have some memories of my own as well... I   
can tell you about it on the way back   
home. How were your meals?"  
  
"We had some nice mother-daughter time   
together, if you want to call it that,"   
said Amy.  
  
"For a moment, helping Amy with the story   
felt like a return to the 31st century,"   
said Sasha. "How was your job search,   
Greg?"  
  
"I've narrowed it down to a few of my   
favorites," said Greg. "I'm very pleased   
with the results..."  
  
Greg's blue cell phone began to light up   
and sound.  
  
He took out the cell and looked at the   
caller ID.  
  
"Some guy named Darien," said Greg with a   
smile.  
  
Amy and Sasha laughed as Greg answered   
the phone.  
  
But they stopped when they saw Greg's   
smile wiped away from his face.  
  
"When did this happen? ... Is he.. Oh, no..   
I'm with Amy and Sasha in the park... Ok...   
Shinjuku hospital? We'll be right there..."  
  
"What happened?" asked Amy.  
  
"Bad news... We have to take an emergency   
detour," said Greg.  
  
"What's at the hospital?" asked Sasha.  
  
Greg took a deep breath... and spoke in a   
low tone.  
  
"More like who... It's Ken. He's in bad   
shape..."  
  
Amy gasped and covered her mouth.  
  
Sasha's eyes wanted some more   
information.  
  
"He's been hit by a car," said Greg. 


	26. For the Love of a Friend

DISCLAIMER  
  
As usual, "Sailor Moon" and all related characters  
are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, TOEI  
Animation and other agencies.  
  
The Saga of Mercury story is copyrighted by me, however  
content in some chapters is based on the Mercury  
Knight Stories as described in the Chapter 1 Introduction.  
  
******  
You can view released chapters in PDF format by visiting  
the official web site of this fanfic, at:  
  
  
You can also view these chapters at:  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapters are also posted weekly at the Sailor Moon newsgroup:  
news:alt.fan.sailor-moon  
******  
  
The Saga of Mercury  
Chapter 26  
For the Love of a Friend  
  
Amy, Greg and Sasha hurried out of the   
park and down into the subway to take the   
train that would bring them to the   
hospital in Shinjuku.  
  
The subway ride to Shinjuku was only   
eight minutes... but to the Mercury trio,   
it seemed to be longer than that.  
  
"Can't we go any faster?" said Sasha in   
her seat on the train.  
  
"We'll get there as soon as we can," Amy   
replied.  
  
As they exited the train station, walking   
at a swift pace, they ran into Mina and   
Jamie.  
  
"So I guess you guys know," said Jamie.  
  
"Yeah, I just joined them in the park   
when we got the call," said Greg.  
  
"Did Darien tell you anything?" asked   
Mina.  
  
"No," replied Greg, "other than Ken's   
been hit by a car, come right away."  
  
"That's as much as we got," said Jamie.   
"Mina was in the middle of making me some   
of her homemade cookies when he called   
us."  
  
As Mina walked ahead of the pace, Greg   
whispered into Jamie's ear, "Well at   
least they'd be much better than   
Serena's..."  
  
Before they knew it, the five were   
standing at the entrance to the hospital.  
  
The five of them walked in, and inquired   
at the reception desk as to where the   
general visitors area was. The   
receptionist pointed the way, and soon   
the five found themselves in a high,   
round, glass atrium, with a snack bar and   
receptionist counter in the center. Seats   
for visitors circled around the center of   
the atrium like layers on a cake.  
  
It was not too crowded, which made it   
easy for Mina to see...  
  
"Serena!"  
  
At the east wing of the atrium were   
Serena, Darien, Rini, Chad, Raye and   
Michelle.  
  
The greetings were quick, as Greg snapped   
to the case.  
  
"So?" Greg asked Darien.  
  
"So... it doesn't look so good," replied   
Darien. "I was able to talk to one of the   
doctors a few minutes ago. Apparently it   
was a hit and run... a guy was driving the   
taxi too fast, and as Ken was on his way   
to a restaurant to meet up with Lita, the   
taxi plowed right into him... and didn't   
stop."  
  
Amy covered her open mouth, while Mina   
put her hand on the side of her face in   
disbelief.  
  
Sasha was very puzzled. "Is that bad?"  
  
"Uh-huh," replied Rini. "Darien said that   
rarely happens here."  
  
"And I think Darien's right," Greg   
responded. "So what's Ken's status now?"  
  
Darien lowered his head. "He's critical,"   
he said. "They say that he broke one of   
his shoulders, and he lost a lot of   
blood."  
  
"Oh, no," said Greg. "So we don't know if   
he'll be all right?"  
  
"Not right now," said Darien. "The   
doctors have him sedated."  
  
"And I don't know what that means," said   
Serena.  
  
"Sedated means he's in a deep sleep,"   
replied Amy, taking a breath. "This   
doesn't sound good."  
  
"What I'd like to know right now is, what   
about Lita?" said Jamie. "Does she feel   
all right? Does she even know about   
this?"  
  
"I don't know how she found out at the   
restaurant," said Serena, "but she got   
here faster than we did... she's all alone   
in the cafeteria..."  
  
Serena's eyes looked down and toward the   
side.  
  
"She was crying, and going like, 'Why,   
why, why'."  
  
"Well haven't you talked to her?" said   
Mina.  
  
"Darien's tried, Serena's tried, and I've   
even tried," said Michelle. "She doesn't   
feel like speaking to anyone right now."  
  
"She's probably worried about Ken," said   
Sasha.  
  
"Probably?" said Greg. "Try definitely."  
  
The group fell silent for a while.  
  
"Her parents are dead, and who knows   
about Ken," said Serena. "Lita must feel   
very lonely right now."  
  
"Lonely?" said Sasha.  
  
Serena nodded her head.  
  
"You know, whenever I felt lonely, I   
always talked to my mom and dad," said   
Sasha. "If I, or anyone in the moon   
kingdom, had some kind of problem, they   
would always take care of it."  
  
"And just who are your future parents,   
Sasha?" asked Darien.  
  
All eyes fell on Amy and Greg.  
  
"Are you saying that Greg and I should   
try talking to her?" said Amy.  
  
Michelle smiled. "If Sasha's correct,   
then you two have the best shot of   
getting through to her."  
  
"And knowing Sasha... I'd say it's worth a   
shot," said Greg.  
  
"I know one thing, Mina and I would make   
the world's worst counselors," said   
Jamie.  
  
"All right," said Amy, "so the rest of   
you will stay here and see if you can   
find out anything else about Ken?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess one of us will come over   
if anything happens," said Darien.  
  
"Can I come with you?" said Sasha to Greg   
and Amy.  
  
"Sasha, I don't think..." started Darien.  
  
"No, I DO think," said Greg, cutting in.   
"If Sasha remembers anything about what   
her future parents have said when it   
comes to topics like this, then believe   
me, she'll be a big help. Just in case we   
slip."  
  
"If you guys weren't here, then Raye   
would be the next best thing, but she's   
with Chad watching Luna and Artemis at   
the temple," said Michelle.  
  
"So we'll see you guys later," said Amy.  
  
Amy, Greg and Sasha made their way toward   
the receptionist desk in the center of   
the Atrium.  
  
"Greg!" yelled Darien. "Look on your   
left, go down all the way to the end and   
turn right."  
  
"Thanks," replied Greg.  
  
As the three left the area, a man in a   
white coat approached Darien.  
  
Darien bowed. "Hello Doctor Takata," he   
said.  
  
Dr. Takata shook his head. "It is getting   
worse and worse. We are running out of   
blood supply for Ken."  
  
"What do you mean?" said Darien. "I   
thought you were supposed to carry all   
types of blood for any kind of patient."  
  
"Ken is different," said Takata. "He has   
a special type of O blood that we carried   
in limited supply. But when we went to   
get more of that blood just, we couldn't   
find any. We suspect that this particular   
blood supply may have been stolen, and   
just that supply, because we have our   
others in full stock.  
  
"So what does that mean?" asked Mina.  
  
"If we can't find any blood of that   
type," said the doctor, "then we may lose   
Ken in a matter of hours."  
Amy, Greg and Sasha made their way down   
the long corridor, and found the entrance   
to the cafeteria on the right side.  
  
The large, red double doors stared the   
three directly in the face.  
  
"I'm a bit nervous," said Sasha.  
  
"Keep your head up high, and be strong,"   
said Amy. "Didn't your parents ever tell   
you that?" she said, looking at Greg and   
smiling.  
  
Greg smiled and nodded in reply.  
  
Sasha held her head up high as she pushed   
open the cafeteria doors, Greg and Amy   
following right behind her.  
  
The cafeteria was very stylish and   
modern, looking more like a business   
class airport lounge than the ordinary   
cafeteria. It was very spacious, with   
large leather appointments for all of the   
individual and couch-type seats,   
complimented with circular, spotless   
wooden tables.  
  
Like the main atrium, this cafeteria was   
pretty empty... save for a few men in   
business suits eating their afternoon   
snack...  
  
And, in the middle of one couch, a tall,   
young girl, with brown hair and a   
ponytail, in a brown and white school   
uniform, her arms and face buried into   
the top of a table.  
  
"That's her," said Greg.  
  
Greg was about to step forward, when Amy   
held him back. "We should walk up to her   
very slowly," she said.  
  
They slowly and cautiously made their way   
through to where Lita was.  
  
Amy and Sasha sat down to her left, and   
Greg to her right.  
  
The three didn't say anything right away.  
  
Lita was motionless... but...  
  
Greg bent his head slightly toward Lita...   
then looked at Amy and Sasha. He pointed   
to his right ear a few times and silently   
mouthed what appeared to be the word   
"listen."  
  
Amy and Sasha listened carefully...  
  
To what appeared to be soft sounds of   
crying.  
  
Amy looked at Greg and nodded... then put   
her hand on Lita's shoulder.  
  
"Lita," said Amy in a soft voice. "Lita?"  
  
Lita didn't budge.  
  
"It's us... Greg, Amy, and Sasha..." said   
Greg softly.  
  
After a few moments, Lita raised her   
head.  
  
Her entire face was a dark shade of red.   
The makeup under her eyes appeared to be   
distorted from the amount of tears that   
she shed... and the tears were still,   
slowly, coming out.  
  
"I..." said a shaky Lita, "I... can't say   
anything... right now..."  
  
"We're very sorry to hear what happened,   
and we hope that Ken comes out all   
right," said Greg.  
  
"Thank you," said Lita in reply, "but I   
don't know if he'll... make it..."  
  
Lita buried her head into her arms again.  
  
Greg put his arm around her. "Lita... why   
do you say that?"  
  
Lita's red face turned to face Greg.  
  
It took a moment for her to speak. At   
first, breaths broke her words into   
syllables.  
  
"W... whe... when I... f.. first met him.. we   
were young... well... you know the story...   
right?"  
  
"Yes," said Amy, "you've said this   
countless of times, that the revelation   
of Ken as your knight from Jupiter was   
the most important moment of your life,"  
  
Hearing that, Lita slowly, but finally,   
sat up on the couch. She wiped the tears   
from her face, and lifted her finger.  
  
"Well," she said, "that wasn't the only   
important moment of my life... there was...   
another..."  
  
"Another?" said Sasha.  
  
"Another," replied Lita, looking down and   
glum, but slowly starting to show a   
smile. "It was... the day I broke up with   
my first boyfriend... that jerk left me   
crying in the rain... and then Ken was   
there, with an umbrella... to keep me dry...   
in that turbulent time of my life... it was   
a few days before the lion attacked him."  
  
"Ah..." replied Amy.  
  
Greg nodded his head.  
  
Sasha was puzzled again.  
  
"Sasha hasn't heard of this," said Greg.   
"Why don't you tell her about that day...   
if you want to, that is."  
  
"That's fine," said Lita. "It's the   
moment that proved Ken's friendship with   
me from the very start... it was back in   
the time of the Doom Tree, there was a   
lion cardigan sent down to collect   
energy... and it went after Ken... and then,   
it went after me.. then.. Ken.. Ken... saved   
my life... as the lion came to attack, he   
pushed me out of the way... but when that   
happened, he tumbled over the ledge and   
fell all the way down... he hit the ground   
unconscious and bleeding... and he needed a   
transfusion from me to stay alive..."  
  
As Sasha understood what had happened,   
Greg was starting to move into a psychic   
state of mind.  
  
"I had a feeling that Ken would mean   
something to me even before this   
happened... since we were young. That   
feeling... became true... when I found out...   
when we found out... that he was my knight   
from Jupiter... the one that would be with   
me forever..."  
  
Lita sighed and held her head.  
  
"And now Ken's in bad shape, I feel like   
this is happening all over again..."  
  
"Lita, it is obvious to me," said Amy,   
"that Ken has watched over you all this   
time, and that you have watched over Ken   
in return. That is a symbol of a true   
love and friendship... you must stay that   
way."  
  
"Yeah, but what if Ken... what if... if..."  
  
"If, if, if," said Greg. "Listen, you   
have to understand the two most important   
words in my vocabulary. Number one, be.   
Number two, strong. BE STRONG. Those are   
two words that Amy and Sasha know very   
well, and two words that I hold to high   
regard in my life here, my past life in   
the Silver Millennium, and my future in   
Crystal Tokyo. Never in my entire life   
have I ever come across any other set of   
words that make such an impact on one   
person. I think it's time that I pass   
those words on to you. Now... I know how   
this is all going to turn out in the end   
with Ken..."  
  
Lita's eyes lit up.  
  
"But," continued Greg, "I don't think   
it's appropriate to tell you the outcome.   
What I do think is appropriate is for you   
to become strong on the inside. No matter   
what happens, if you are strong on the   
inside, especially with your heart, you   
will get through all of life's problems.   
You can trust me on that."  
  
Lita thought of Greg's words... and the   
small smile she had began to grow bigger.  
  
"Hold your head up high!" said Sasha.  
  
Greg laughed as Lita followed Sasha's   
request.  
  
"I'm confident that I'll make it   
through," said Lita in a loud voice.  
  
Then lowering her tone, she said, "and, I   
know, that my Ken, will make it through."  
  
"See, Lita, you feel much better now!"   
said Amy.  
  
"Yeah, if it weren't for friends like   
you," said Lita, "I don't know where my   
mind would be right now. Thanks."  
  
"All righty," said Greg. "Now, what I can   
tell you is that in the atrium there is a   
monster dispatched by Queen Sorinya."  
  
Amy's eyes went wide open.  
  
"This is the monster that's been causing   
a huge mess," Greg continued, "and   
something that we have to take priority   
on right now. Then, Lita, I'm going to   
suggest something else."  
  
"A monster?" asked Amy.  
  
"Yes, I'm afraid so," Greg responded.   
"This monster.. is apparently after the   
Jupiter family.. Ken and Lita."  
  
"He wasn't the one that..." said Lita.  
  
"I'm afraid this monster might be   
responsible for hitting Ken with the   
taxi, as well as causing a certain theft   
inside the hospital," said Greg. "It has   
some kind of mind control beam."  
  
"Mind control beam?" said Lita. "I guess   
it runs in the family..."  
  
"Well, we don't have much time," said   
Amy. "The coast is clear, we can   
transform here."  
  
The four of them stood up.  
  
"It's time for me to fight for what's   
right. It's time for me to BE STRONG... and   
fight for Ken. Let's go! JUPITER STAR   
POWER!"  
"MERCURY STAR POWER!"  
"My turn... MERCURY PRISM POWER!"  
"MERCURY KNIGHT POWER!"  
  
Lita in particular felt a rejuvenation of   
energy and strength within her, as she   
became the Sailor Soldier of thunder and   
lightning... Sailor Jupiter.  
  
The four of them ran out of the   
cafeteria, down the corridor and into the   
atrium... where, as Mercury Knight   
predicted, a monster -- this one almost   
similar to the lion-like cardigan that   
attacked Ken a few years ago -- was   
beginning to attack everything in its   
path. By this time, one fifth of the   
seats were destroyed, and everyone had   
fled in panic.  
  
Everyone, that is, save for six other   
people whose job it was to take care of   
this sort of thing.  
  
"CRESCENT BEAM!" yelled Sailor Venus,   
attempting to stop the monster.  
  
But the sharp-toothed monster breathed   
out a powerful beam that dissipated the   
one Sailor Venus sent out... and the beam   
was headed for her.  
  
"VENUS LOVE SHIELD!"  
  
With prompt acting, Venus Knight was able   
to shield himself and Sailor Venus before   
the monster's beam hit her.  
  
Tuxedo Mask tried to throw a rose to stun   
the monster.  
  
The rose stuck on its head for a moment,   
before it was shaken off.  
  
The relentlessness of the monster... and   
the growling of the monster... prompted   
Sailor Neptune to step forward.  
  
"Stop what you are doing this very   
instant," said she, "or on behalf of the   
planet Neptune, I will have to harm you."  
  
Her demands were met with a loud roar   
from the monster.  
  
"Very well... DEEP SUBMERGE!"  
  
The deep submerge attack was a big blow   
for the monster, as it was nearly knocked   
down and out.  
  
The monster was starting to recuperate   
quickly for another strike...  
  
"No... you... DON'T!" said a young woman in a   
green "fuku."  
  
"Jupiter!" yelled Sailor Moon.  
  
"This," said Mercury Knight, "is where   
payback happens."  
  
Sailor Jupiter had already recalled about   
her times with Ken as she was walking   
through the corridor from the cafeteria...   
both in her life as Lita... and, another   
life...  
  
"Ooooooh, YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR THIS!"   
yelled Sailor Jupiter.  
  
But by this point, the growling monster   
had regained his strength... and was   
opening his mouth, revealing some kind of   
yellowish light from within.  
  
"That's the mind control beam, he's going   
to try to hit Sailor Jupiter!" said   
Sailor Mercury.  
  
"Use your scanners!" yelled Sailor Mini   
Moon.  
  
"Good thinking," said Sailor Moon.  
  
Sailor Mercury and Mercury Knight   
activated their scanners and joined   
hands.  
  
Scanning for weaknesses, they discovered...  
  
"Of course," said Sailor Mercury. "The   
Negamoon crescent is buried deep in his   
fur."  
  
"Aim for above the eyes!" yelled Mercury   
Knight.  
  
Sailor Jupiter nodded... and raised the   
antenna from her tiara.  
  
"On behalf of the planet Jupiter, and of   
the Jupiter Knight, I call upon the   
forces of thunder and lightning, and his   
spirit, to eliminate this evil! SUPREME   
THUNDER!"  
  
Sailor Jupiter's Supreme Thunder attack   
was stronger than ever before. The   
lightning bolts hit the monster squarely   
above the eyes.  
  
But the monster wasn't the only one that   
went down for the count.  
  
"Sailor Jupiter!" yelled Mercury Knight   
when Sailor Jupiter collapsed onto the   
ground.   
  
He quickly ran over to where she was,   
while Tuxedo Mask yelled, "Mini Moon!   
Mini Mercury! Your turn!"  
  
The two youngsters went right at it.  
  
"SHABON FAN!"  
"PINK SUGAR HEART ATTACK!"  
  
The super cooled water from Sailor Mini   
Mercury covered the monster in a thin,   
tough wall of ice, and groan after groan   
could be heard from within with each hit   
from Sailor Mini Moon's attack.  
  
"My turn!" said Sailor Moon. "If you mess   
with one of my friends, then you'll have   
to mess with me! For love and justice, I   
am the pretty suited sailor soldier,   
Sailor Moon! And on behalf of the moon, I   
SHALL PUNISH YOU!"  
  
"Now would be a nice time to do that,   
Sailor Moon," said Sailor Venus.  
  
Taking out her spiral moon rod, Sailor   
Moon nodded and moved into position.  
  
"MOON SPIRAL HEART ATTACK!"  
  
It was all over when the large heart   
punched through and dissolved the monster   
in a wave of purple smoke.  
  
Sailor Moon was very happy...  
  
"Yes! We did it! We... Jupiter?"  
  
...until she found that Sailor Jupiter was   
struggling to get up.  
  
Everyone ran to her aid... but the tough   
sailor soldier was able to stand up under   
her own power.  
  
"I'm all right guys," said Sailor   
Jupiter. "Thanks a lot for all your   
help."  
  
At that instant, Sailor Mercury's   
computer was flashing. Taking the compact   
computer out, she noticed that Raye was   
checking in to see if everyone was all   
right.  
  
"Yes, Raye, we destroyed the monster that   
has been causing Lita all these   
problems," said Sailor Mercury.  
  
"Great! Give her my best," said Raye,   
"and I'll try to pay Ken a visit soon...   
how's he doing?"  
  
Everyone fell silent for a moment.  
  
"Amy?" said Raye. "He... didn't..."  
  
Mercury Knight stepped in. "Raye, if one   
of us can do something in particular,   
then he's going to make it."  
  
"What are you talking about?" said Sailor   
Jupiter.  
  
"Well, we should all get out of these   
clothes first before anyone else around   
here notices," said Mercury Knight.   
Turning to the computer, he said, "We'll   
talk to you in a bit, Raye."  
  
"No prob... hope everything goes well!"   
said Raye.  
  
After Sailor Mercury closed the computer,   
the entire group de-transformed then and   
there.  
  
Greg then walked up to Lita.  
  
"Ok, Lita, I'm going to make this quick   
because Ken doesn't have a lot of time,"   
he said. "I've been able to figure out   
that the monster that we just destroyed   
was responsible for the destruction the   
O-positive blood supply. So do you know   
anyone here who has O-positive blood?"  
  
"I do," said Lita.  
  
"In that case... do you feel the strength   
for another transfusion? It might be the   
difference that we're all looking for."  
  
Lita wasted no time responding. "Ken is   
my boyfriend... and the one that I've stuck   
to all my life... I have to do it to save   
him... again."  
  
Darien pointed to Dr. Takata. "The   
doctor's right there."  
  
Lita took a deep breath and walked to the   
doctor.  
  
"Hello, miss, I'm Doctor Takata. How may   
I help you?"  
  
"Doctor, I have O-positive blood, and I   
would like to donate it to one of your   
patients."  
  
"Ah..." he said with a smile. "I know just   
the man you're talking about. Follow me,   
please, and we'll run a few tests before   
we can proceed."  
  
Lita turned back to Serena, Darien, Rini,   
Amy, Greg, Sasha, Mina, Jamie and   
Michelle and smiled at them as Dr. Takata   
led her to the testing room.  
After a period of time, as stars were   
appearing in the darkening sky, Dr.   
Takata returned.  
  
"Great news! The transfusion is a   
success! It'll be enough to last   
overnight... and we have an additional   
blood supply being rushed to us, so I can   
guarantee that we'll have it in by   
tomorrow morning. To put it simply, he's   
going to make it."  
  
Everyone cheered when they heard this   
news.  
  
"Now," said the Doctor, "I have the two   
of them in a special recovery room right   
now, and Ken has been removed from   
sedation. You can all go see them if you   
want. It's all right with me."  
  
After a brief trip through several   
corridors, the group came upon the   
Jupiter duo... that was smiling at each   
other as they walked in.  
  
"Hey guys," said Ken, still a bit groggy   
from the sedation.  
  
Everyone greeted the two. "How are you   
feeling?" asked Sasha.  
  
"Couldn't be better, except for my   
shoulder," said Ken.  
  
"The fracture will heal itself within two   
weeks," said Dr. Takata.  
  
"I'm cool with that," said Ken. "Even   
with this, it gives me more time to spend   
with a certain someone..."  
  
Lita blushed.  
  
"Awww..." said Serena. "So when do you guys   
plan to go to the restaurant?"  
  
"If Lita still wants to go..." said Ken.  
  
Lita quickly nodded her head and smiled.  
  
"Great!" said Ken. "All I have to do is   
get out of the hospital first, and get a   
list of things that I shouldn't eat, and   
we'll go for it!"  
  
"It should be a very small list, given   
your injury," said Amy.  
  
"He should be out in three or four days,"   
said Dr. Takata. "He's taken the   
transfusion very well, and we think he'll   
take the other blood supplies just as   
well."  
  
Ken turned his head.  
  
"Doctor? I just want to thank you and   
your staff for all that you've done."  
  
"My pleasure, Ken."  
  
"Because with your help, I'm still able   
to be with the prettiest person in my   
world... my princess, right next to me over   
there."  
  
Lita was starting to cry again. "You're   
my knight... you will always be," she said   
softly.  
  
The others smiled at their reaction.  
  
And Amy and Greg, in their minds, knew   
that Queen Sorinya struck again, but in   
the end, the side of good prevailed.  
  
Nevertheless, they knew that Queen   
Sorinya would be relentless in the   
destruction of Amy.  
  
Aside from their schoolwork...  
  
They had to begin figuring out, sooner or   
later, how to bring her down.  
  
*****************************  
HOW?  
  
See if they come up with a plan in the next  
chapter... #27... of The Saga of Mercury. 


	27. Quartzia Changes Sides

ATTENTION SAILOR MOON FANS  
  
Would you like to hear some of the best music from  
Sailor Moon? Then tune into the Internet's newest  
radio station dedicated to this benchmark Anime series.  
  
From the author of The Saga of Mercury, it's  
  
SILVER MILLENNIUM RADIO   
  
Silver Millennium Radio features only the best  
Sailor Moon music, from an extensive music playlist that  
rotates on a regular basis.  
  
It also features special programs such as the nightly Moonlight   
Evenings, and Starry Night Karaoke and Sailor of the Week  
shows every week.  
  
For more information and to view a programming calendar,   
visit our website:  
  
  
Or, launch Silver Millennium Radio now!!  
  
  
*****  
DISCLAIMER  
  
As usual, "Sailor Moon" and all related characters  
are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, TOEI  
Animation and other agencies.  
  
The Saga of Mercury story is copyrighted by me, however  
content in some chapters is based on the Mercury  
Knight Stories as described in the Chapter 1 Introduction.  
  
The name and likeness of Lance Burton is a trademark of  
Lance Burton Merchandising, Inc.  
  
******  
You can view released chapters in PDF format by visiting  
the official web site of this fanfic, at:  
  
  
You can also view these chapters at:  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapters are also posted weekly at the Sailor Moon newsgroup:  
news:alt.fan.sailor-moon  
******  
  
The Saga of Mercury  
Chapter 27  
Quartzia Changes Sides  
  
"I'M NOT FINISHED WITH THEM!" Quartzia   
yelled to Sorinya.  
  
"Silence," said Sorinya. "You're all   
bruised up after that last battle. You   
need some rest. After all, you are one of   
my most loyal servants, and I don't want   
to lose you now."  
  
Quartzia growled. "I don't need, and I   
won't have, ANY rest! AND I DON'T CARE   
WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT IT!" she said before   
turning around and starting out of the   
chamber in a huff.  
  
"QUARTZIA!" yelled Sorinya.  
  
But Sorinya's call went on deaf ears, as   
Quartzia left the chamber, apparently   
getting prepared to start an attack   
again.  
  
Sorinya signed and put her hand on her   
forehead. "This is yet another fool who   
does not want to wait," she said aloud.   
"I still need more time to come up with   
my ultimate plan..."  
  
Sorinya paused when she turned to see a   
picture of herself with her cousin Bertie   
on the dark, black wall.  
  
Sorinya left her throne and walked over   
to the picture.  
  
"Bertie," she said to the picture, "I   
will avenge your loss from our family... I   
promise you..."  
Meanwhile...  
  
The other sailor scouts were gathered   
inside the Italian restaurant where Ken   
and Lita were supposed to meet up at   
several days ago. This time, however,   
everyone was either wearing a suit or   
wearing a beautiful dress... to celebrate   
love and friendship.  
  
Lita and Ken were at the seats of honor,   
farthest away from the entrance. To the   
right of Lita were Amy, Sasha, Greg,   
Darien, Serena and Rini. Next to Ken were   
Raye, Chad, Jamie and Mina. Two empty   
seats completed the circle between Rini   
and Mina.  
  
Ken stood up first and addressed   
everyone.  
  
"Thanks for coming, guys," he said. "I'd   
like to take this opportunity to raise a   
glass to you all, my close and dearest   
friends. Without your moral support, I   
wouldn't have made it..."  
  
"Here, here," Greg said to applause.  
  
"Thanks," said Ken. "I'd also like to   
honor someone here, who has been with me   
from the very start..."  
  
"Lita!" yelled Sasha.  
  
"Sssh!" said Amy.  
  
Ken winked at Sasha before continuing.   
"This someone has comforted me, and I   
have comforted her. In all the good   
times, and in all the bad..."  
  
Lita was beginning to blush.  
  
"She's got brown hair, and so do I," he   
said to laughter. "And..."  
  
Ken paused.  
  
"And, she..."  
  
"She what?" asked Mina.  
  
Ken looked down at Lita.  
  
"She... saved my life... twice," he said.   
"Folks, I give you Lita Kino."  
  
With everyone at the table applauding,   
Ken urged Lita to stand up. After a bit   
of hesitation, she did.  
  
"Thank you everyone," she said, smiling   
and bright red, before sitting back down.  
  
Then Greg thought of something, and   
immediately he and Darien excused   
themselves from the table. Greg took his   
index finger and moved it in circles, as   
if to tell Ken to keep going.  
  
Ken nodded back to Greg, then turned back   
to Lita. "So I give you my promise, Lita,   
since you saved my life twice, that I   
will save..."  
  
Ken was no longer audible as Darien and   
Greg were making their way toward the   
exit.  
  
"Greg, I'm going to trust you that   
they're here..." said Darien.  
  
"Relax, the man's leaning against a   
street lamppost and his daughter is right   
beside him."  
  
Darien and Greg exited the restaurant...   
and turned towards their left.  
  
"You win again," said Darien.  
  
Indeed, there was a white-haired man   
leaning against the lamppost. He was   
dressed in his blue suit and was carrying   
a white lab coat in his arm.  
  
Next to the man was a short girl, about   
Rini's size, who was wearing a black   
shirt and a plaid dress. She had short   
black hair.  
  
Darien stepped forward to the two.  
  
"Professor Tomoe?"  
  
"Darien!" said the Professor. "How   
wonderful to see you again. To think that   
you were Tuxedo Mask all along."  
  
Darien quickly stepped back. "Tuxedo   
Mask?" he said with a surprised look on   
his face.  
  
The girl stepped forward. "I told him,"   
she said.  
  
"Hotaru!" said Darien. "How have you   
been?"  
  
The three exchanged pleasantries, then   
Darien introduced Greg to the Tomoes.  
  
"Pleased to finally meet you," said Greg.   
"I understand you have a special   
relationship to the sailor scouts'   
battles."  
  
"Too many that I don't want to remember,"   
said the Professor.  
  
"Me neither," said Hotaru.  
  
"Well then, they're inside the restaurant   
now," said Greg.  
  
"Great," said the Professor. "Does Lita's   
girlfriend... uh, Ken... is he going to..."  
  
"Yes, he will, don't worry about it   
though, only the guys know about it,"   
said Darien.  
  
The quartet made their way back into the   
restaurant.  
  
"These two are with us," said Greg to the   
host.  
  
"Ah yes, that completes your table's   
attendance, thank you!" he said.  
  
As they approached the table, Rini was   
already speaking.  
  
"...the one close friend that I've had was   
Hotaru," she was saying. "I always liked   
the times that I spent with her."  
  
"We all know what happened with her,"   
said Amy.  
  
"She turned out to be the Soverign of   
Silence, and Serena saved her," Rini   
said.  
  
"And I'm right here!" said a voice.  
  
Rini turned her head, and immediately her   
eyes went wide open when she saw someone   
who looked very familiar.  
  
"I... I'm sorry," said Greg jokingly, "who   
were you talking about?"  
  
Everyone else, in on the secret, smiled.  
  
Unintelligible sounds of astonishment   
were coming out of Rini's mouth... and a   
tear out of one eye.  
  
Suddenly, Rini could not hold back.  
  
She jumped into Hotaru's arms. "HOTARU!"   
she screamed.  
  
Everyone else stood from their chairs to   
welcome Hotaru and the Professor.  
  
"You're totally clean now?" asked Jamie   
to the Professor.  
  
Smiling, the Professor responded, "No   
evil influences, trust me..."  
  
"All right, now that we're all here,"   
said Darien, taking his seat, "why don't   
we have one last toast before we go here...   
all of us?"  
  
Everyone raised his or her water glasses.  
  
"To the future," said Darien.  
  
"To the future!" said everyone else.  
  
The entire group then settled down for a   
wonderful lunch, all supervised by the   
restaurant's head chef.  
  
When it came for dessert, one of the   
waiters carted in a tray filled with   
sumptuous delicacies.  
  
Ken seemed to browse over the display   
quickly...  
  
"You might want to finish off this cherry   
pie that we have here on the top," said   
the waiter. "Is there anyone at your   
table who likes cherry pie?"  
  
Ken looked at Lita.  
  
"I like cherries!" said Sasha.  
  
"I know," said Greg, "but Lita's always   
had something about cherry pie. I'd give   
her the last piece."  
  
"Why?" said Amy to Greg.  
  
"Listen, Sasha, they sell desserts at the   
entrance. I'll buy you one whole pie when   
we leave, okay?"  
  
"Yippie!" said a smiling Sasha.  
  
"All righty then," said the waiter.   
"Here's your..."  
  
The waiter turned to his display... and   
noticed that the cherry pie slice had   
disappeared.  
  
"Wh... where's the slice?" said the Waiter.  
  
"Oh, no," said Ken. "Look over there!"  
  
Ken pointed down the hallway, where   
Serena was walking over to the bathroom.  
  
"Serena!" yelled Ken. "Come back here!"  
  
Serena quickened her pace to the ladies   
room.  
  
"She's got the cherry slice!" yelled   
Raye, who quickly left her seat and   
chased after her.  
  
"IT'S ALL MINE!" yelled Serena, soon   
finding herself being chased all around   
the restaurant by Raye.  
  
"I'm surprised at their behavior," said   
Professor Tomoe from the table.  
  
"Surprised?" said Mina, lowering her   
head. "Oh, you shouldn't be, really..."  
  
After a wild runaround, Serena was   
running back toward the table, the pie   
slice and saucer occupying both of her   
hands.  
  
Serena ran and ran with an evil look on   
her face... until she tripped on her long   
dress.  
  
She went tumbling to the floor... and the   
cherry pie slice was tumbling high into   
the air.  
  
Chad screamed, "GET THAT SLICE!"  
  
Chad, Ken and Jamie were running over to   
try to catch the slice, now at its peak   
of ascent over the center of the table.  
  
Darien closed his eyes, thinking about   
the worse.  
  
But he was relieved by a sigh from   
everyone, when Ken caught the slice with   
one hand... and it was still intact.  
  
Ken took the slice and put it on one of   
the clean saucers that was on the table.  
  
"Let's wait for Raye to help Serena up,"   
said Ken.  
  
Raye was struggling to lift Serena...  
  
When all of a sudden, the windows of the   
restaurant were blown apart by a strong   
driving wind.  
  
The shattering of the windows was   
followed immediately by piercing screams   
from within the restaurant... including   
from Serena, Raye and Amy.  
  
A yellow mist then began to make its way   
through the restaurant, the strong winds   
accompanying it.  
  
Within no time, all of the people at the   
restaurant were blown to the floor,   
including Raye and Serena... with the rest   
of the sailor team, and the professor,   
finding themselves immobile against the   
wall.  
  
"It's Quartzia!" yelled Amy through the   
wind.  
  
Through the yellow smoke, the evil   
presence made itself known.  
  
"CARE FOR A BITE?" said Quartzia. "Yes,   
behold, it is I, the one you couldn't get   
rid of!"  
  
Lita tried to move her arms and legs from   
the wall but couldn't. "OH, WHEN I GET MY   
HANDS ON YOU!" she yelled.  
  
"You won't!" yelled Quartzia, who shot a   
beam of yellow light at Lita.  
  
Lita growled... strained... and fell   
unconscious as she succumbed to the   
yellow beam.  
  
"LITA!" yelled Ken.  
  
"Oh, shut up," said Quartzia, knocking   
Ken out with the same beam.  
  
One by one, Quartzia silenced Lita, Ken,   
Mina and Jamie.  
  
Greg had enough...  
  
"MERCURY SUPER ICE SHIELD!"  
  
"Ha, how can you do that when you can't   
reach your transformation device?" said   
Quartzia to Greg.  
  
But Quartzia appeared stunned as a ray of   
blue light began to shine from Greg's   
right hand, which was still pressed on   
the wall. The blue light soon began to   
encircle everyone who was on the wall...   
conscious or not... until the light froze   
into a transparent barrier of ice.  
  
With the wind no longer having an effect,   
those who were against the wall slid down   
until their feet were on the ground...   
except for the four unconscious ones that   
slumped to the ground.  
  
Greg then turned his closed hand around   
to reveal... his open cell phone.  
  
"Ha, Quartzia! Haven't you heard of Lance   
Burton?!" yelled Greg. "I think it's   
called sleight of hand..."  
  
"I'll silence your hand tricks... and ALL   
your tricks... with just ONE BLOW!" yelled   
Quartzia, as she readied her yellow beam.  
  
"NOT SO FAST!" yelled two girls.  
  
Quartzia turned around.  
  
"How dare you try to come in here and   
spoil our fun!"  
  
"And how dare you try to ruin my life!!!"  
  
"For love and justice, I am the pretty-  
suited sailor soldier of love and   
justice! I AM SAILOR MOON!"  
  
"And I'm the sailor soldier of fire... I'M   
SAILOR MARS, and I'm going to melt you   
down!"  
  
"And in the name of the moon, we will   
right wrongs and triumph over evil..."  
  
"THAT MEANS YOU!" they both yelled.  
  
"So, the fate of friendship comes down to   
the two who always argue with each other,   
eh?" said Quartzia.  
  
"Well... yeah..." started Sailor Moon  
  
"We may not agree on many things," said   
Sailor Mars, "but there's one thing we do   
agree on... that you're nothing but a piece   
of garbage! It's time to throw you in the   
trash!"  
  
"Oh, then I'll have to do something about   
that," said Quartzia, who immediately   
shot her yellow beam of light toward   
Sailor Mars.  
  
Sailor Moon pushed Sailor Mars out of the   
way just in the nick of time.  
  
"Gah!" yelled Quartzia. "Missed them   
both!"  
  
Quartzia tried several more times... but   
agile Sailor Mars, and yes, even clumsy   
Sailor Moon, were able to dodge her   
attacks.  
  
Quartzia was trying so hard to get rid of   
the two... that she had no clue what was   
happening behind her.  
  
Behind the barrier of frozen water,   
Tuxedo Mask, Sailor Mini Moon, Sailor   
Mercury, Mercury Knight, Sailor Mini   
Mercury and Mars Knight had already   
transformed.  
  
As Sailor Mercury was heading over to   
revive Lita, Ken, Mina and Jamie, Hotaru   
turned to her father.  
  
"It's time for me to become a sailor   
scout again, daddy," she said.  
  
"Well, don't do anything that will get   
you weak, I don't want anything like   
before to end up happening to you,"   
Professor Tomoe replied.  
  
"You have my word," Hotaru said.  
  
"In that case," he said, reaching into   
his suit pocket, "you'll need this..."  
  
The professor pulled out the Saturn   
transformation stick and handed it to   
Hotaru. He then kissed Hotaru's forehead.   
"Good luck."  
  
Hotaru raised the transformation stick   
high in the air... yelled "SATURN PLANET   
POWER!"... and became Sailor Saturn.  
  
"Sailor Saturn... how are ya?" said Mars   
Knight.  
  
"There is no time to talk, Chad," said   
Saturn. "When everyone is ready, you need   
to burn down the ice wall so we can   
attack Quartzia from behind."  
  
Mars Knight took out his fire blade.   
"Right-o!" he said.  
  
"I'll stay here to protect them," said   
Sailor Mercury, referring to those that   
were on the floor.  
  
"Protect who," said a groaning voice.  
  
Sailor Mercury looked down. "Ken!"  
  
"And Jamie, too," said Jamie.  
  
Lita, Ken, Mina and Jamie started to   
struggle to their feet.  
  
The Professor was amazed. "What stamina   
they have," he said.  
  
"What do you expect," said Mercury   
Knight. "They're sailor scouts!"  
  
Sailor Mini Moon ran over to where Sailor   
Saturn and the Professor were.  
  
"I wanna help you protect the professor,"   
said Sailor Mini Moon.  
  
"That's a great idea," said Sailor   
Saturn. "I guess I still have to save my   
strength..."  
  
Sailor Mini Mercury ran over. "Don't   
forget me!" she cried out.  
  
"Sasha!" said Saturn. "You're Amy and   
Greg's future child?"  
  
"Mm-hmm," replied Mini Mercury.  
  
"Well, we'll talk later, Mars Knight is   
getting ready to burn down the ice wall,"   
she said.  
  
"Wait for us!" yelled Lita, who along   
with Ken, Mina and Jamie, were standing   
and ready to go.  
  
"VENUS STAR POWER!"  
"JUPITER STAR POWER!"  
"JUPITER KNIGHT POWER!"  
"VENUS KNIGHT POWER!"  
  
"Mars Knight, we're all ready!" yelled   
Tuxedo Mask. "Go ahead!"  
  
"OK, let's see how this does... MARS FIRE   
BLADE CHARGE!"  
  
Mars Knight's fire blade cut through the   
ice like knife through butter, and in a   
few seconds the ice wall became water   
puddles on the floor.  
  
The sailors wasted no time.  
  
"VENUS LOVE-ME CHAIN!"  
  
Quartzia was startled when the love chain   
encircled her entire body.  
  
"She's motionless!" yelled Mercury   
Knight. "Give her all we've got!"  
  
"SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!"  
"BURNING MANDALA!"  
"SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!"  
"SHABON FAN!"  
"MOON TIARA ACTION!"  
  
A couple of targeted hits from Tuxedo   
Mask roses, combined with these attacks,   
brought Quartzia down to the ground.  
  
Quartzia was yelling in agony and pain as   
the four knights gathered together to   
prepare their super attack.  
  
"All right, it's time to hit a home run!   
MERCURY ICE..."  
  
Mercury Knight stopped when he heard   
Quartzia's screams.  
  
"AAAAH! STOP, PLEASE!!! PLEASE STOP!!! I   
DON'T WANT TO BE A BAD PERSON AGAIN!!!   
PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!!!"  
  
Mercury Knight lowered his sword, a   
quizzed look spread across his face.  
  
"PLEASE... Please..." said Quartzia, catching   
her breath... "I... I really didn't want to   
be a bad person... It... was Sorinya's fault...   
It was her fault all along... she was the   
one that brought me through all this..."  
  
Mercury Knight said to himself, but   
audibly, "All right, finish her or screw   
it?"  
  
"What are you waiting for?" said Jupiter   
Knight. "Finish her!"  
  
"Yeah, we haven't got all day..." said Mars   
Knight.  
  
Mercury Knight thought long and hard...  
  
"Screw it!" he yelled. "Sheathe your   
swords."  
  
"WHAT?!" yelled Venus Knight. "Come on   
Greg, you can't be serious..."  
  
"No, wait," said Sailor Mercury. "Guys,   
please... If Mercury Knight is doing this...   
then he has a reason..."  
  
Mercury Knight walked up to face Quartzia   
and crouched down, while the other   
knights reluctantly placed their swords   
back into their holders.  
  
"I have a feeling that you're being   
sincere to us," he said.  
  
"Yes..." said Quartzia, "Yes, I am."  
  
Sailor Mercury looked at Mercury Knight.  
  
"She... she sounds sincere to me," Sailor   
Mercury said.  
  
"All righty Quartzia, I'm giving you a   
chance to explain yourself..."  
  
A horrific-faced Quartzia looked at the   
sailor scout team that was surrounding   
her.  
  
"I... I've had it with evil," she said. "I   
want to change... I don't feel like I've   
done anything right.. I.. well.. to tell you   
the truth, I always wanted to be like the   
member of my family that came before me...   
who turned to the good side... Avarie..."  
  
Sailor Venus almost choked. "Avarie? You   
knew her?"  
  
"Yes," said Quartzia to the sailor of   
beauty. "She was supposedly my distant   
relative, but I've always looked up to   
her because of the true goodness in her   
heart..."  
  
"All right, all right," said Sailor Moon.   
"It just comes down to this question: if   
we turn you to our side, will you promise   
to be good?"  
  
"Living a new life of goodness," said   
Quartzia, "is all I ever wanted."  
  
"Sailor Moon," said Mercury Knight, "you   
can trust me on this one."  
  
"Well," said Tuxedo Mask, "if Mercury   
Knight says it's okay, then I guess there   
really is no point in arguing."  
  
Sailor Mini Mercury was ready to run over   
to Quartzia to welcome her over to the   
side of good.  
  
"Not so fast," said her friend Mini Moon,   
holding her back. "Sailor Moon has to use   
her Spiral Rod to heal her."  
  
"That's right..." said Sailor Moon, who,   
after a bit of hesitation, moved into   
position.  
  
"MOON SPIRAL HEALING ACTIVATION!"  
  
A stream of hearts began to encircle   
Quartzia... not the kind of hearts that   
would attack her like the Venus love   
chain, but the kind of hearts that would   
clear her mind and body of all evil.  
  
Sailor Mercury knew the sign that would   
indicate Quartzia was fully healed... she   
had to wait for the Negamoon symbol to   
disappear from Quartzia's head.  
  
Sailor Moon was increasing her strength   
to heal Quartzia...  
  
"ERRR," said a straining Sailor Moon. "I   
don't think it's gonna be enough..."  
  
"Sailor Moon," said Sailor Saturn,   
stepping forward with her staff. "Allow   
me..."  
  
"You?" said Sailor Moon.  
  
"It makes sense," said Sailor Mars.   
"She's the most powerful of any of the   
Sailor Scouts!"  
  
"And she can make people feel better,"   
said Sailor Mini Moon.  
  
"I am going to try," said Sailor Saturn.  
  
After handing her staff to Professor   
Tomoe to hold, Sailor Saturn approached   
Quartzia.  
  
"Thank you," said Quartzia, as Sailor   
Saturn placed her hands on Quartzia's   
forehead.  
  
Sailor Saturn closed her eyes... and within   
moments, Quartzia's skin tone began to   
lighten to a regular peach color.  
  
It was obvious, based on what the others   
saw, that Sailor Saturn's healing was   
working... and working quickly.  
  
When it was done, Quartzia was smiling   
with joy.  
  
And Sailor Saturn was collapsing onto the   
floor.  
  
"Hotaru!" yelled the professor, dropping   
the staff and running to aid his   
daughter.  
  
Sailor Venus also ran over to help.  
  
Sailor Saturn was weakened by the power   
she just used.  
  
But when it was all over, Sailor Mercury   
looked at Quartzia's head...  
  
"You're all cured, Quartzia!" she said.  
  
Quartzia looked around. "Who? I don't   
know who you're talking about," she said.  
  
Mercury Knight looked at Sailor Mercury.   
"Slight amnesia, but I think she'll be   
ok."  
  
"Here, let me help you to your feet,"   
said Sailor Venus.  
  
Sailor Venus helped Quartzia up, while   
Professor Tomoe took his transformed   
daughter into his arms.  
  
As Sailor Venus was about to lead the re-  
born Quartzia out the exit...   
  
"Wait, Sailor Venus!" said Jupiter   
Knight.  
  
"What is it," said Sailor Jupiter.  
  
Jupiter Knight pointed down to the slice   
of cherry pie.  
  
"It still hasn't been touched," he said.   
"Promise me, Lita, you'll take a bite now   
so we'll get this over with?"  
  
"Might as well," said Sailor Jupiter, "if   
all of you were making such a fuss about   
it before..."  
  
Tuxedo Mask and the knights looked at   
each other with confidence as Sailor   
Jupiter took an unused fork off the table   
and cut into the p....  
  
The p....  
  
The p......  
  
"Ech, this isn't cutting through," Sailor   
Jupiter complained.  
  
"Maybe... something is obstructing it?"   
Jupiter Knight suggested. "You know, in   
the way?"  
  
Sailor Jupiter reached into the cherry   
pie slice with her fingers.  
  
"Are you guys playing a trick on me? Is   
that why... oh.... my...."  
  
Sailor Jupiter gasped loudly... and the   
other sailors followed suit... when Sailor   
Jupiter pulled out what appeared to be   
some kind of ring.  
  
Jupiter Knight immediately splashed some   
water from a cup to clean it up.  
  
The ring was a sparkling diamond,   
surrounded by a ring of emerald.  
  
"No, Ken, no!" said Sailor Jupiter, who   
was starting to cry and turn red.  
  
Jupiter Knight smiled as he took the ring   
from her, and got down on one knee.  
  
The other sailors were caught off guard,   
and were starting to tear up as well.  
  
Professor Tomoe smiled, as did Tuxedo   
Mask, Mini Moon, Mini Mercury, and the   
other knights.  
  
"No, Ken!" Sailor Jupiter said through   
tears.  
  
"Yes Lita," said Jupiter Knight.   
"Hopefully this proves how I really feel   
about you... how I've always felt about   
you... and how I always will feel about   
you... deep inside my heart.......  
  
"I love you, Lita."  
  
"I... love you, Ken," a broken Sailor   
Jupiter said.  
  
"Will you marry me?"  
  
A few nods from Sailor Jupiter's head   
were all that was needed for the cheers   
to begin from those assembled.  
  
Jupiter Knight placed the ring on Sailor   
Jupiter's left ring finger, rose up, and   
gave her a kiss.  
  
"I think with that, we're finished with   
our day!" said Mercury Knight. "Why don't   
we leave before everyone else in the   
restaurant starts to get up?"  
  
Everyone agreed.  
  
Sailor Venus and Quartzia led the group   
out of the restaurant, followed by a very   
happy couple from Jupiter, Professor   
Tomoe with Sailor Saturn, and everyone   
else.  
  
The last two to exit were Mercury Knight   
and Venus Knight.  
  
"So what's going to happen to Quartzia?"   
asked Venus Knight.  
  
"Dunno, Jamie," replied Mercury Knight,   
"maybe something similar to what Avarie   
has been doing ever since she was healed.   
I'll be sure to check up on her for you."  
  
"And look on the other bright side!" said   
Venus Knight with a smile. "That's two   
down and three to go, IF you know what I   
mean..."  
  
"That's right!" laughed Mercury Knight.  
  
The two chuckled as they walked through   
the restaurant exit.  
  
Mercury Knight then told Venus Knight,   
"And you know what? YOU'RE NEXT!!"  
  
Venus Knight stopped with a frozen look   
on his face.  
  
"I... I... I... I..." he said.  
  
By the time he said this, Mercury Knight   
was already a step ahead of him.  
  
"You, you, you. Don't worry, it'll be   
easy," said Mercury Knight, walking back   
to his friend. "I'll help you out... I'll   
think of a way that you can get to Mina   
without her even noticing..."  
*******************************************  
It looks like Jamie has to make the next move  
to fulfill his destiny. How will he do it?  
How will Greg help him?  
  
And what will be Sorinya's reaction to Quartzia's  
"defection"?  
  
Find out in the next chapter of, The Saga of Mercury. 


	28. Play Ball

ATTENTION SAILOR MOON FANS  
  
Would you like to hear some of the best music from  
Sailor Moon? Then tune into the Internet's newest  
radio station dedicated to this benchmark Anime series.  
  
From the author of The Saga of Mercury, it's  
  
SILVER MILLENNIUM RADIO   
  
Silver Millennium Radio features only the best  
Sailor Moon music, from an extensive music playlist that  
rotates on a regular basis.  
  
It also features special programs such as the nightly Moonlight   
Evenings, and Starry Night Karaoke and Sailor of the Week  
shows every week.  
  
For more information and to view a programming calendar,   
visit our website:  
  
  
Or, launch Silver Millennium Radio now!!  
  
  
*****  
DISCLAIMER  
  
As usual, "Sailor Moon" and all related characters  
are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, TOEI  
Animation and other agencies.  
  
The Saga of Mercury story is copyrighted by me, however  
content in some chapters is based on the Mercury  
Knight Stories as described in the Chapter 1 Introduction.  
  
******  
You can view released chapters in PDF format by visiting  
the official web site of this fanfic, at:  
  
  
You can also view these chapters at:  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapters are also posted weekly at the Sailor Moon newsgroup:  
news:alt.fan.sailor-moon  
******  
  
The Saga of Mercury  
Chapter 28  
Play Ball  
  
It was a mostly cloudy and cool Saturday   
afternoon at the Ikebukuro Junior   
Baseball Complex, where most of the girls   
on the scout team decided to challenge   
their knights to a friendly game of   
softball.  
  
Even though it appeared it was going to   
be a four on four situation, none of them   
seemed to mind, since the two young girls --   
Rini and Sasha -- needed supervision.   
Amy and Greg were quick to offer their   
help in that matter.  
  
The eight people would be divided equally   
among gender, with Darien, Raye, Ken and   
Mina on one team, and Serena, Chad, Lita   
and Jamie on the other team.   
  
There was only one problem...  
  
"Where's Jamie?" asked Mina.  
  
"Oh, I forgot to tell you," said Greg   
from the stands, "he forgot that he had   
to teach volleyball to some young kids   
today, this was going to interfere with   
that... but don't worry, he asked someone   
to replace him..."  
  
"Here he comes," said Amy.  
  
Mina looked in the direction that Jamie   
was pointing... and gasped. "Andrew!"  
  
Sure enough, Andrew strolled his way down   
to the softball diamond, his light hair   
reflecting any sun that was able to peek   
through the clouds.  
  
Andrew shook Greg's hand and greeted Amy,   
Sasha and Rini before he entered the   
field.  
  
Someone else was trailing behind him...   
wearing a blue shirt, gray pants, shiny   
black shoes, a black cap and a mask. His   
long dark hair, mustache, beard and   
sunglasses were visible through the mask.  
  
"Who's that?" asked Sasha. "Do we know   
him?"  
  
"No we don't," replied Amy. "I believe   
it's one of Andrew's friends... He's going   
to umpire the game."  
  
The umpire stopped and turned to Greg. He   
extended his hand. "A pleasure to see   
you, sir," he said, his mask muffling his   
voice.  
  
"That's, uh, Jeff," said Andrew.  
  
"Good luck, Jeff, and thanks for coming,"   
said Greg.  
  
With that, Jeff walked down to the field   
and had a meeting at home plate with the   
two captains, Serena and Darien.  
  
"Ok," said Serena. "So if I hit the ball,   
you give me two runs, right?"  
  
Darien shook his head in disbelief.  
  
"Those may be the rules somewhere else,   
but not here," the umpire said jokingly.  
  
While the meeting was taking place, Rini   
were looking for two others that were not   
around.  
  
"Where's Artemis and Luna?" she asked.  
  
"They have their hands tied up," replied   
Greg.  
  
Amy laughed. "You mean 'paws'?"  
  
"Oh..." Greg said with a sweatdrop. "Uh,   
anyway. They're doing a lot of research   
into Queen Sorinya. I'm sure Sorinya will   
be relentless in going after Amy, now   
that Quartzia has been cured..."  
  
"I'll stop her!" said Sasha.  
  
Greg chuckled... "Thanks, Sasha, but it may   
not be so easy..."  
  
"That's why Luna and Artemis are very   
busy now," said Amy. "The more   
information we know, the better the   
chances are of stopping her."  
  
Greg then suddenly wrapped his arms   
around Amy. "She'll have to get through   
me first, because I love this munchkin   
very much!" he said in a silly voice.   
"Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!"  
  
"Stop, Greg!" yelled a laughing Amy.  
  
"And I'll... oh..." Greg said, stopping the   
antics on his girlfriend. "We'll get to   
this later... but right now I think it's   
time for some softball..."  
  
"PLAY BALL!" bellowed the umpire.  
  
There were cheers from the quartet as the   
softball game began.  
  
"It's interesting how they're going to   
pull this game off with only four people   
on each team," said Amy. "I can already   
think of one logical way..."  
  
"You mean the backstop?" said Greg.  
  
"Yes, the area behind home plate is very   
small, so they don't have to worry about   
a catcher," said Amy.  
  
As Amy and Greg were figuring everything   
out, Darien's team was taking the field.   
Darien was walking to the pitcher's   
mound, while Raye, Ken and Mina were   
covering each of the bases.  
  
"Remember guys," said Darien, "if anyone   
hits a long one that gets past us, then   
we'll just give their team a run."  
  
"That makes more sense here," said Greg.  
  
The first batter came up to the plate...  
  
"Hey, meatball head!" said Darien to the   
batter.  
  
Serena clenched her teeth in hate as she   
reacted to Darien's remark, and took a   
classic batting pose.  
  
"I'm the best softball player," Serena   
shouted, "I can hold the bat like a   
professional, I can hit like a   
professional, and there's nothing you can   
do to prove me wrong!"  
  
"STRIKE ONE!" yelled the umpire.  
  
Serena's eyes and mouth went wide open,   
her body and bat not even budging once,   
as the umpire threw the ball back to   
Darien.  
  
Serena turned her head to the umpire in   
disbelief, a huge sweatdrop forming on   
her head.  
  
"It was in the strike zone," said the   
umpire.  
  
Now with a red-hot temper, Serena   
beckoned for Darien to keep pitching at   
her.  
  
SWISH! SWISH! went Serena's bat over the   
next two pitches.  
  
"STRIKE THREE, YER OUT!" yelled Jeff.  
  
Serena, eyes shrunken to dots, groaned as   
she walked back to the dugout, dragging   
the bat on the dirt.  
  
"Cheer up, Serena," said Raye from second   
base. "You'll hit it next time."  
  
Serena just glanced at Raye briefly   
before returning to her seat in the   
dugout.  
  
Next up to the plate was Chad.   
  
"I wonder if you've got the knack for   
it," yelled Raye.  
  
Chad would indeed respond... by belting the   
first pitch out over the center field   
fence.  
  
"THAT'S A HOME RUN!" yelled the umpire.  
  
Chad was really impressed with himself,   
and ran around the bases, fists up in the   
air.  
  
"Who do you think you are, Rocky?" said   
Lita from the on deck circle.  
  
Amy, Greg, Sasha and Rini cheered Chad as   
he stepped on home plate.  
  
"SCORE'S ONE TO ZERO!" yelled the umpire.  
  
Lita would take her turn next, but would   
unfortunately ground out on the third   
pitch, from Darien to Ken, who was on   
first base.  
  
As Andrew began to stroll up to take his   
turn, Rini had a curiously interesting   
question to ask.  
  
"Amy? Greg?" she said.  
  
"Yes?" said the two of them.  
  
"How did you two fall in love?"  
  
Greg's face froze.   
  
So did Amy's.  
  
"Ah.... Come again?" asked Greg.  
  
"She said, how did you fall in love,"   
said Sasha.  
  
"Um... what makes you ask that," said Amy,   
who was starting to turn a shade of red.  
  
"Well, I might be dumb sometimes," said   
Rini, "but I know that since Sasha's from   
the future, she probably knows the story...   
so if you don't tell me, then I know she   
will, right Sasha?"  
  
Sasha smiled and nodded. "Do you remember   
Greg? Amy?"  
  
Greg wasted no time.  
  
"Tell them Amy, when did we fall..."  
  
But Greg stopped talking when he saw that   
Amy's face was as red as a radish... too   
red to answer the question.  
  
"Oh... all right, I'll tell you..." said   
Greg. "Rini, we might have told you that   
we fell in love the night of the big   
Negaverse attack in the Silver   
Millennium..."  
  
The statement drew a shaking head from   
Sasha.  
  
"But that really wasn't it, was it   
Sasha?"  
  
"No, Amy fell in love first!" replied   
Sasha.  
  
"Yes, A..."  
  
Greg paused to see Amy... still blushing   
deeply.  
  
"Yes, Amy fell in love with me first. Or   
at least, she clearly made it known that   
she was in love with me first. If I   
remember correctly..."  
  
Greg stopped briefly when he saw Lita   
swing and miss for the third out of the   
inning.  
  
"All right guys, let's go get them!" said   
Greg.  
  
Chad gave a thumbs-up sign to Greg as he   
took the mound for the bottom of the   
inning.  
  
"All right," said Greg, "about that   
night... it was about one or two days   
before the big attack..."  
  
Greg closed his eyes as he started to   
remember.  
  
"I was in Central Command... right, Sasha?"  
  
"Yep, and they told you the Negaverse was   
coming."  
  
"Uh... Something like that," went Greg.   
"Yes, there were reports that the   
Negaverse was planning something..."  
Lieutenant Chadwick of Mars could not   
believe it.  
  
"This is going to be the baddest attack   
we've ever seen!" he said.  
  
"I think," said Admiral Gregory of   
Mercury, "number one, you should say   
it'll be the WORST attack, and second, I   
agree with you."  
  
The knights of the inner planets had   
gathered in Central Command on the planet   
Mercury, along with King Francis of   
Mercury and King Marcus of Mars. They had   
been hearing reports from other kingdoms   
in space that the Negaverse... the evilest   
of entities... were beginning to plan an   
attack on the Moon Kingdom and its   
planets.  
  
"The decision ultimately rests on Queen   
Serenity of the Moon," said Marcus, "but   
our job is to gather up as much   
intelligence as we possibly can in the   
hopes that we can effectively combat this   
threat."  
  
"There's no question," said Captain James   
of Venus, "that all of our planets will   
have to be ready."  
  
"I've been in close contact with the   
scouts on the outer planets... Saturn,   
Uranus, Neptune, Pluto..." said Defense   
Officer Kenneth of Jupiter. "They all   
seem to be ready in the event of an   
attack."  
  
"Do you think that our five Sailor Scouts   
will be ready?" asked Prince Darien of   
Earth.  
  
"They certainly have to be, and I know   
they will," said Francis. "They are   
excellent young women, and I'll know that   
if this happens, they'll give it all they   
have."  
  
"They're actually practicing now on the   
Littrow range on the Moon," said Darien.   
"Even though they have no clue about   
what's going on."  
  
"You know what..." said Marcus, pushing a   
few buttons on his console, "this would   
be a good opportunity to check in on them   
now."  
  
Marcus was put in touch with the central   
operator. "Could you please establish a   
connection with Artemis on the Moon?   
Thank you."  
  
Within a minute they were in touch with   
Artemis.  
  
"Hello, gentlemen," said Artemis. "How   
are you all coming along?"  
  
"We're coming along fine... we just want to   
know how the ladies are doing with their   
practices," said Marcus.  
  
"I... I don't know how to respond to that,"   
replied Artemis.   
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Well... I'm afraid they know about the   
rumors now," said Artemis.  
  
"What?" said Gregory.  
  
"No!" said Chadwick.  
  
"Who told them?" asked James.  
  
"Well," responded Artemis, "nobody told   
them... they found out themselves. It   
appears that while the scouts were   
practicing, Sailor Mercury picked up a   
Negaverse spy satellite orbiting the Moon   
with her VR Visor. Before they could   
attack the satellite, it self   
destructed."  
  
"Spy satellite?" said Francis. "How can   
that be possible?"  
  
"Well, seeing that Sailor Mercury was the   
only one able to pick up the masked   
signature, there must be quite a bit of   
technology involved," said Kenneth.  
  
"I'm going to have to find out if they've   
got any other satellites lurking about,"   
said Gregory. "Shall I start now?"  
  
"Actually, I've just been told that Queen   
Serenity would like to speak to all of   
you now. She's standing by on a secure   
channel," said Artemis.  
  
"Patch it through," said Marcus, "and   
thanks for your report."  
  
"My pleasure," responded Artemis.  
  
Artemis' face disappeared in a wave of   
static and snow on the view screen...   
replaced a few seconds later with the   
face of the ruler of the Moon Kingdom.  
  
"Your Highness," said everyone.  
  
"Gentlemen," said Queen Serenity, "I   
speak to you now in what appears to be   
the most unfortunate of circumstances. I   
have discovered that the Negaverse is   
possibly planning to attack the entire   
Moon Kingdom. The thought of the peaceful   
times that all of us have had may soon   
vanish and be replaced with the thought   
of a new war... and as Artemis just told   
you, the Sailor Scouts attempted to   
disable a Negaverse satellite which   
apparently was orbiting our Moon for an   
undetermined amount of time.  
  
"Given the graveness of the current   
situation," she continued, "I must   
proceed with the Code E plan in the event   
that we are outnumbered and are unable to   
respond to the attack."  
  
Darien, Gregory, Chadwick, Kenneth and   
James looked at each other, wondering   
what the Code E plan was.  
  
But Francis and Marcus reacted to the   
news with gaping mouths.  
  
"To all my inner knights who don't know   
what Code E is," said Serenity, "it is   
the evacuation plan to Earth. If we are   
unable to respond to the attack, I intend   
to send all of you to the planet Earth to   
be reborn as ordinary people, many years   
from now. You will grow up as normal   
humans, but in time, you will start to   
regain knowledge of who you really are.   
Your job will be to protect the planet   
Earth and the kingdom from any threat of   
evil, be it from the Negaverse or another   
entity."  
  
"So we're going to be... in a kind of   
suspended animation?" said Kenneth.  
  
"Yes," responded the Queen, "but you do   
not have to worry, because when you   
regain your memories of this time, you   
will regain your abilities to fight   
against the evil forces, exactly as it is   
right now."  
  
"What about King Marcus, King Francis and   
the others?" asked Chadwick.  
  
"What about YOU?" asked James.  
  
"There is the good possibility that we   
may not make it through this crisis,"   
Serenity replied. "In which case I have   
another very important plan that is   
crucial to the survival and rebirth of   
the Moon Kingdom... one which I must keep   
secret."  
  
"Your highness," said Darien, "no matter   
what the outcome is, I will stand by to   
defend the Moon, the Earth, and the   
kingdom... and your daughter."  
  
"I'll be ready to defend Jupiter, and   
Lita," said Kenneth.  
  
"And I will stand by to defend the most   
beautiful planet, with its most beautiful   
princess," said James.  
  
"Please understand, stupid as I may   
sometimes be," said Chadwick to King   
Marcus, "I will be ready to defend you   
and your daughter as the knight of our   
planet of fire."  
  
Gregory was about to speak to Francis   
about the planet Mercury, when...  
  
"Admiral Gregory?" interrupted Queen   
Serenity. "May I speak to you in   
private?"  
  
"Yes... yes, your highness. Allow me to   
step into my quarters next door," said   
Gregory.  
  
"I'll patch her into your room," said   
Marcus.  
  
Gregory stepped out of the Central   
Command room and into his quarters, where   
Queen Serenity's face was already on the   
view screen located on his desk.  
  
Gregory stood at attention. "Yes your   
highness?"  
  
"You might want to sit down, Gregory,"   
said Serenity.  
  
Gregory immediately did so.  
  
"Gregory, you are the smartest of all of   
the knights in the Moon Kingdom, and you   
are the leader of the inner knights,   
behind only Prince Darien. Because of   
this, I feel it is important that I   
disclose to you my plan to save the Moon   
Kingdom."  
  
"I am listening," said Gregory.  
  
"If the worst happens, Gregory," said   
Serenity, "I will send you to Earth using   
the power of the Silver Millennium   
Crystal, and then separate that crystal   
from my moon sceptor."  
  
Gregory was shocked. "Your highness, with   
all due respect, I must protest! The   
Silver Millennium Crystal is the core of   
our existence!"  
  
"You have every right to point that out,"   
said Serenity, "But this will ensure the   
safety of our kingdom from falling into   
evil hands in the future."  
  
"In that case, it makes sense," said   
Gregory.  
  
"It will be separated into seven   
crystals, with each a different color of   
the spectrum. Each crystal will carry a   
unique characteristic... And Gregory, as   
one of the best knights the Moon Kingdom   
has, I wish to bestow one of these   
crystals to you."  
  
Gregory's eyes went wide open. "Uh... T...   
Thank you, my queen," was his response.  
  
"Your impressive knowledge makes you the   
chosen one to receive the yellow crystal...   
the one which will contain my power to   
foresee the future. If you are sent back   
to Earth and are reborn, you are free to   
use the power at your will, but remember   
that the Negaverse must be dealt with...   
that should be your priority."  
  
"I will use the power... as you wish,"   
responded Admiral Gregory. "But I must   
ask, with all due respect, can you use   
the power right now to foresee the   
Negaverse attack?"  
  
Queen Serenity closed her eyes. "I'm   
afraid I cannot," she responded. "The   
Negaverse has a very powerful force that   
has blocked my ability. I must therefore   
conclude that they may attack... However..."  
  
"Yes?" asked Gregory.  
  
"I do see Princess Amy... Sailor Mercury...   
is in the process of teleporting back to   
where you are, and she is very intent on   
seeing you... In that case I shall leave   
you so that you can speak with her. I   
will call Central Command back in a few   
hours with an update."  
  
"Thank you, my Queen," said Gregory.  
  
Admiral Gregory departed his quarters...   
and was quickly stopped by Michael, the   
herald.  
  
"Admiral Gregory..." he started.  
  
"Sailor Mercury has just arrived from   
practice and wishes to see me?" said   
Gregory.  
  
Michael gave him a strange look. "Why,   
yes, how did you..."  
  
"Where is she now?" asked Gregory.  
  
Michael pointed to the rear of the   
castle. "In... in the back terrace,   
overlooking the reflecting pool."  
  
"Thanks, Michael," said Gregory, who went   
toward the back terrace.  
  
"You're... welcome," replied Michael, still   
amazed at what he just saw from Gregory.  
Sure enough, just as Queen Serenity   
predicted, Gregory walked out to find   
Sailor Mercury standing there, looking   
down at the reflecting pool, her back   
facing the rear entrance where Gregory   
was currently standing. Her right hand   
was on her head, while the left arm was   
crossed over to support the other one.  
  
Gregory slowly approached Amy. With news   
of the possible attack now known to the   
scouts, Gregory did not know what to   
expect from her.  
  
That was, until the princess turned   
around, tears visibly streaming from her   
eyes, and ran toward her knight.  
  
Sailor Mercury threw her arms around   
Admiral Gregory and buried her face into   
his chest, sobbing out loudly.  
  
Admiral Gregory was surprised at what she   
was doing... in all of the years that he   
knew her... he had never, ever been held   
this way before... with the exception of   
properly accepting his arm to kingdom   
balls and festivals.   
  
After a moment, Gregory began to wrap his   
arms around the crying princess.  
  
"Shhhhh...." went Gregory. "Shhhhh...."  
  
Sailor Mercury then lifted her head.  
  
Gregory could read from what he saw that   
Amy had no idea why this was happening.  
  
Then, he took his right thumb and began   
to wipe the tears away from her eyes.  
  
The phrase "What am I doing" crossed   
Greg's mind as he did this.  
  
"I'm.. sc.. sc.. scared..." said a shaking   
Sailor Mercury through the tears, not   
sounding like her normal self.  
  
Gregory looked at Sailor Mercury...  
  
And into her eyes.  
  
He then straightened himself up... "I'm   
scared too, you know... and I have a   
feeling the other guys inside are   
scared..."  
  
Sailor Mercury then looked down to the   
ground, then over toward the reflecting   
pool. "Now... now would be a good time to   
tell you this..."  
  
"Tell you what? I mean, ME, tell ME   
what?" said Gregory.  
  
"Well..." said Sailor Mercury, trying to   
shake the tears away, "I've had a lot of   
time to think this over..."  
  
"About?"  
  
"About... the two of us," she responded,   
"and the friendship we have..."  
  
Sailor Mercury took a deep breath.  
  
"Gregory..."  
  
"Yes?" he said, not knowing the severity   
of what Sailor Mercury was hiding.  
  
"Well, my whole life on Mercury has been,   
well, ordinary... you know, growing up to   
become Sailor Mercury and the eventual   
leader of the planet, as I was destined   
to do..."  
  
"You should thank your father," said   
Gregory. "If it wasn't for King Francis'   
guidance, who knows where you would be   
today."  
  
"Yes," said Sailor Mercury, rolling her   
eyes to the side, smiling. "I have a lot   
of things to thank my father for...   
especially for something very important..."  
  
"Which is?"  
  
"Introducing you to me," said Sailor   
Mercury, looking into Gregory's brown   
eyes. "I credit you for the way you have   
changed my life. You've made me look at   
life from a different perspective, one   
that has instilled change in me... and for   
that, I am very thankful..."  
  
"Well, you're welcome," said Gregory.   
"After all, it is my sworn duty."  
  
"Well, Gregory, I am so thankful that..."  
  
Sailor Mercury started to wrap her arms   
around Gregory once more... and this time...   
pressed her body toward his.  
  
Gregory was so surprised and so shocked   
at what she was doing, that HE was the   
one starting to shake now.  
  
Sailor Mercury silenced the shaking when   
she reached up onto the tiptoes of her   
boots... and kissed her knight.  
  
Sailor Mercury was kissing a man for the   
very first time...  
  
And Admiral Gregory's eyes were wide open   
at this point.  
  
Amy was able to murmur something as her   
lips continued to press his...  
  
"I... love... you..."  
  
Which caused Gregory's head to snap back,   
breaking the kiss.  
  
"What did you just say?" he asked.  
  
Sailor Mercury uttered a small sound   
before her cheeks began to engorge with   
blood.  
  
Gregory was still waiting for a response.  
  
But all that he got was another quick   
kiss from the red-cheeked Amy, the best   
smile he's ever seen from the red-cheeked   
Amy, and a glance at the red-cheeked Amy   
running back into the castle.  
  
"Amy!" yelled Gregory.  
  
Gregory was about to pursue Amy back into   
the castle... but didn't.  
  
Instead, he just froze there... and after a   
moment, looked into the reflecting pool.  
  
Two minutes passed... or, to Gregory, what   
seemed to be an eternity.  
  
In that amount of time, memories of Amy   
flowed into and through his head.  
  
He then realized what his inner self was   
thinking...  
  
"Oh my goodness..." he said to himself.   
  
"I... I... love her..."  
  
"You do?" said a voice from behind.  
  
Gregory turned around... to see his best   
friend from the neighboring planet of   
Venus.  
  
"Welcome to the club!" said James.  
  
"Club?" asked Gregory.  
  
"Yep," said James, putting his hand on   
Gregory's shoulder. "We figured you'd   
always be the last one to fall in love...   
looks like we were right!"  
  
"Wow, I'm feeling, uh... how do I feel   
now..." said Gregory.  
  
"Cool, maybe?" said James.  
  
"More wicked than cool..." said Gregory.   
"Wicked... cool.. wicked cool.. that's how I   
feel. Wicked cool. If you want to call it   
that."  
  
"Works fine with me," said James. "It's   
interesting, though, she made her love   
known before you did. Wasn't like that   
with me, or the others."  
  
"Yeah..." said Gregory, starting to look up   
into the sky. "And now that I know how   
she feels.. I wonder.. exactly when... I'll   
be able to tell her... how I feel..."  
"I'd eventually tell her after I rescued   
her when the Negaverse finally attacked,"   
said Greg.  
  
"Wait, she didn't tell you that when you   
rescued her?" asked Rini.  
  
"What do you mean, Rini?" said Greg.  
  
"I remember you told me the story of how   
you rescued Amy, and after you told her   
that you loved her, she told you that."  
  
"Nice memory, Rini," said Greg. "But now   
that I think about it more, especially   
with Sasha here, I can remember the real   
turning point of my life in the Silver   
Millennium... which was that very evening..   
Ames, would you agree about..."  
  
Greg stopped when he saw Amy shedding   
tears.  
  
"Oh, AMY!" said Greg, reaching over to   
clear the tears from her face.  
  
Once he did that, he took a long look at   
Amy...  
  
And Amy took a long look at Greg.  
  
Sasha tapped Rini and pointed at her   
future parents. "Look!" she whispered.  
  
Amy and Greg inched closer together, and   
closed their eyes...  
  
"YER OUT!" yelled the umpire.  
  
Greg and Amy snapped back into reality at   
that instant, and looked toward the   
softball field where Darien had just   
struck out.  
  
Chad had his fist pumping in the air as   
Darien looked at his bat in disbelief.  
  
While Greg told his story, Chad walked   
Raye to first base and forced Ken to   
ground out. With Darien now out, Mina was   
making her way to the plate.  
  
"All right Chad! This is it!" yelled Greg   
from the stands.  
  
Mina, waving the bat in front of her, got   
to the batter's box. Interestingly, Jeff,   
the umpire, greeted her with a bow as she   
got there.  
  
"Ok, let's win this game!" yelled Mina.   
"Throw one right down the middle, Chad!   
Make it easy for me!"  
  
But Chad had other plans.  
  
Instead of down the middle, he threw the   
first pitch about fifteen feet to the   
outside of Mina.  
  
Mina didn't swing the bat, and looked   
back at Chad, shaking her head.  
  
"STRIKE ONE!" yelled the Umpire.  
  
Mina's eyes bulged open, her head   
snapping back toward the umpire. "WHAT!"   
she yelled.  
  
"WHAT!" yelled Greg.  
  
"What happened?" asked Sasha.  
  
"I don't know," said Greg, "but that   
pitch should not have been called a   
strike."  
  
The others were looking in shock at the   
umpire's call.  
  
They became even more shocked when the   
second pitch, which went soaring into the   
sky, was called "STRIKE TWO!"  
  
Greg had enough. He excused himself   
before jumping out of his seat, running   
down the stairs, jumping over the barrier   
and charging toward the umpire.  
  
"GREG!" yelled Amy. "STOP IT!"  
  
Greg was running toward Jeff... and Mina   
tried to stop him.  
  
"What are you doing, Greg?!" yelled Mina.  
  
"Please stay out of this!" responded   
Greg, before looking Jeff in the face.  
  
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, MAKING   
CALLS AS BOGUS AS THAT!" Greg yelled to   
Jeff.  
  
Jeff was just standing there, hands on   
hips.  
  
"I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU CALL THAT, BUT I   
CALL THAT POOR OFFICIATING! WHAT DO YOU   
HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF!!"  
  
Jeff stared at Greg for a moment.  
  
"WELL?!" yelled Greg.  
  
Jeff then looked down and shook his head.  
  
"WHAT NOW? ARE YOU CHANGING YOUR MIND?"  
  
"I.. I.." went Jeff through the mask. "My   
mind's just not on the game today."  
  
"Not on the game, well that's for sure,"   
said Mina.  
  
"Let me ask you then," said Greg, quickly   
taking a few steps toward the other   
bench. "What IS your mind on today?"  
  
"Something else," said the umpire, who   
started to remove his facemask and his   
hat.  
  
"Why is he taking all of his stuff off?"   
asked Sasha.  
  
"Is this a strip show now?" said Ken.  
  
"Jeff reminds me of someone," said Amy.  
  
Jeff was starting to remind everybody on   
the field of someone... until Jeff removed   
the fake beard, the fake mustache, and   
the wig with the long hair... that made   
people realize that it wasn't Jeff... but   
instead, was...  
  
"GASP! JAMIE!" shrieked Mina.  
  
Darien, Greg, Chad and Ken were starting   
to laugh as Mina made the surprise   
discovery.  
  
Amy's mouth went wide open, while Serena,   
Raye, Lita, Rini and Sasha began to laugh   
along.  
  
"YOU!" Mina screamed in amazement.  
  
Jamie raised his hands to quell the small   
crowd.  
  
"Yes, me," he said, pulling a very small   
black case out of his front pocket.  
  
Mina covered her mouth. And so did the   
other girls.  
  
"YES, YES, YES, YES, YES, YES, YES!!!" a   
smiling Mina screamed, jumping up and   
down, in anticipation of Jamie's next   
question.  
  
Jamie laughed out loud. "Do... Do you mind   
if... I ask you first?"  
  
Mina quickly nodded her head up and down   
like a bobble-head.  
  
Jamie took a deep breath... laughed some   
more... and opened the case to reveal a   
ring with four gemstones... two diamond,   
and two citrine.  
  
"Mina Aino," Jamie yelled, "Will... you...   
marry..."  
  
Jamie had no chance to say "me" since   
Mina raced right to him and kissed him.  
  
The others, who figured the kissing to   
mean yes, cheered wildly.  
  
Mina smiled as Jamie placed the ring on   
her finger.  
  
She then jumped up and down, yelling   
wildly and doing a celebratory dance,   
with the others laughing... Chad   
hysterically.  
  
When she was finished, she went back to   
hug Jamie... and that was when the real   
emotions, and Mina's tears, began   
spilling out.  
  
"I love you," said Mina.  
  
"And me to you," said Jamie.  
  
Andrew and Greg ran up to the duo from   
Venus.  
  
Andrew hugged both Mina and Jamie, and   
offered his congratulations. "I know   
you're going to make one fine couple,   
both here, and where you'll eventually be   
going," he said.  
  
Greg then went up to hug Mina, and then   
gave a big friendly hug to his best   
friend.  
  
"It worked, Greg! Thanks a million! I'll   
never forget this," said Jamie.  
  
Mina then turned to Greg. "You did it...   
AGAIN?!"  
  
"Yep, unfortunately," said Greg with a   
smile. "Well, why complain to me, when   
you've got your future suitor here and..."  
  
Greg was interrupted when his silver blue   
cell phone began to go off.  
  
"Excuse me," said Greg, stepping away.  
  
Three down, he said to himself before   
answering the phone.  
  
"Luna! I haven't heard from you in a long   
time! How are you? ... And Artemis? ...  
Yes... oh... I see... you really think   
you've found something... all right then,   
when do you... tomorrow at the shrine?   
Gotcha... Ok, see you tomorrow! Bye..."  
  
Greg flipped his cell phone to his off   
position before addressing everyone.  
  
"Guys," he said with a bit of hesitation,   
"we've got an important meeting tomorrow   
at Hikawa Shrine."  
  
"What for?" asked Raye.  
  
Greg paused... and looked over towards Amy.  
  
"Luna and Artemis believe... they may have   
the solution to bringing down Sorinya..."  
  
*********************************  
  
What do Luna and Artemis have to report?  
  
And, the burden is now on Greg and Chad...  
Destiny brought them together with Amy and  
Raye respectively.  
So who will propose next?  
  
Find out in Chapter 29 of The Saga of Mercury. 


	29. All Aboard!

ATTENTION SAILOR MOON FANS  
  
Would you like to hear some of the best music from  
Sailor Moon? Then tune into the Internet's newest  
radio station dedicated to this benchmark Anime series.  
  
From the author of The Saga of Mercury, it's  
  
SILVER MILLENNIUM RADIO   
  
Silver Millennium Radio features only the best  
Sailor Moon music, from an extensive music playlist that  
rotates on a regular basis.  
  
It also features special programs such as the nightly Moonlight   
Evenings, and Starry Night Karaoke and Sailor of the Week  
shows every week.  
  
For more information and to view a programming calendar,   
visit our website:  
  
  
Or, launch Silver Millennium Radio now!!  
  
  
*****  
DISCLAIMER  
  
As usual, "Sailor Moon" and all related characters  
are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, TOEI  
Animation and other agencies.  
  
The Saga of Mercury story is copyrighted by me, however  
content in some chapters is based on the Mercury  
Knight Stories as described in the Chapter 1 Introduction.  
  
******  
You can view released chapters in PDF format by visiting  
the official web site of this fanfic, at:  
  
  
You can also view these chapters at:  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapters are also posted weekly at the Sailor Moon newsgroup:  
news:alt.fan.sailor-moon  
******  
  
The Saga of Mercury  
Chapter 29  
All Aboard  
  
Queen Sorinya of the Negaverse was left   
reeling... still upset after the loss of   
Quartzia.  
  
She sat on her throne... a stone cold look   
frozen on her face.  
  
And her eyes full of evil and hate.  
  
Another one of Sorinya's servants,   
Sentoosa, was about to enter the   
chambers.  
  
"Your majesty," she began.  
  
"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Sorinya shouted at her,   
her eyes fiery red.  
  
Sentoosa had a huge sweatdrop on her   
head... and quickly bowed and exited.  
  
Sorinya sighed... and thought to herself   
for a moment.  
  
"Now I must deal the crushing blow to the   
fools that have kept me this long from   
carrying out what I have always wanted to   
do," she said.  
  
Sorinya then stood up, and walked to a   
remote corner of her chamber.  
  
She pressed her hand on one of the dark   
walls.  
  
All of a sudden, as if by magic, a purple   
halo of light appeared in front of   
Sorinya.  
  
Sorinya reached over and placed her hand   
into the purple light... and pulled out a   
fluorescent crystal.  
  
"Fluorescent crystal of evil, source of   
destruction," she said to the crystal,   
"provide me with the answer to destroying   
Amy Mizuno!"  
  
A gust of wind began to blow toward   
Sorinya. It was as if the wind came from   
the crystal... as if the crystal was   
responding to Sorinya's words...  
"And that's why the fluorescent crystal   
of evil is the key to bringing down Queen   
Sorinya," said Artemis to the assembled   
Sailor team at the Hikawa Shrine.  
  
"I am most impressed with your research,"   
responded Amy.  
  
"So let me get this straight," said Chad.   
"If we can get our hands on the crystal,   
then Sorinya is a dead duck?"  
  
"Not just get our hands on it," said   
Greg, "but shatter it. The thing's been   
with her since her birth in the   
Negaverse."  
  
"So we have a job to do, until Queen   
Sorinya is dealt with successfully," said   
Luna to everyone. "We must protect Amy at   
all costs."  
  
"That's not necessary," said Amy. "I can   
protect myself."  
  
"Amy, that may not help you in this   
case," said Artemis. "You're going to   
need all the assistance and backup that   
you can... Especially from Greg."  
  
"That's right," said Darien. "Greg,   
you've got primary responsibility over   
her."  
  
"No he doesn't!" said a youthful voice.  
  
Everyone looked over at Sasha.  
  
"I do," she said with a stern look.  
  
Greg smiled. "Ha ha! Well, Sasha, I'll   
need all of the help I'll need. Not just   
from you, but from everyone else."  
  
"I'm a bit interested in this phospho...   
uh... what's it... fluorescent crystal. Yeah,   
fluorescent," said Ken. "It must be one   
powerful crystal, and if it is, we all   
have to be ready for it."  
  
Greg looked away for a moment. "I don't   
know how I'll be able to do it... I know   
there's a way... but I don't know it..."  
  
Amy walked closer to Greg and held his   
arm. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Well," said Greg, "there's protecting   
you... then there's school... and then, of   
course, there's my job training..."  
  
"Job training?" said Chad. "Oh yeah, you   
won't tell us what that's about..."  
  
"Nah, that's a small secret I've been   
keeping from you guys," said Greg.   
"Besides, that's almost done with,   
although I'll have one big test to take."  
  
"After you pass the test... and I'm sure   
that a guy like you would..." said Raye,   
"will you please tell us what you will be   
doing?"  
  
Greg thought for a moment.  
  
"I might be able to show you..." he   
responded.  
  
"Show us?" said Serena. "Oh, it's not   
fair, I wanna see!"  
  
"You hate surprises, Serena?" said Lita.  
  
"Of course!" shouted Rini in response.  
  
Serena looked at Rini foolishly. "Not   
really, unless of course, Darien   
surprises me," she responded, her eyes   
soon turning into pink heart shapes.  
  
Everyone had sweatdrops.  
  
"That's what I thought," said Lita. "But   
let's face it, he surprised you when he   
asked you to marry him."  
  
"Speaking of which," said Mina, "how are   
the wedding plans going?"  
  
Serena was quick to answer. "Oh, it's   
going to be so fun! It'll be the best   
wedding anyone has ever seen. We're going   
to go and..."  
  
As Serena was giving her long answer,   
Darien was looking away, a huge sweatdrop   
on his face.  
  
"...isn't that right, Darien?" Serena   
concluded, looking at her future husband.  
  
"Uh... I really haven't thought about it   
much," said Darien. "Don't you remember,   
we agreed that you would finish school?"  
  
"I don't care what the two of you think,"   
said Lita, staring into the eyes of Ken.   
"Ken and I have been together for many   
years before we realized our destinies..."  
  
"That's right," Ken responded. "Lita and   
I wish to get married immediately... in two   
months, at the earliest."  
  
"That fast, huh?" responded Jamie.  
  
As some of the members of the team   
discussed their wedding plans, Chad and   
Greg stayed silent. They looked at each   
other.  
  
The two men did not know who would   
propose next... would Chad propose to Raye   
first? Or would Greg step forward and   
propose to Amy?  
  
Raye and Amy knew separately in their   
minds as well, that a proposal would have   
to come soon from Chad and Greg,   
respectively.   
  
Everyone that had gathered... including the   
two cats... had the same question in their   
heads...  
  
Who would propose first?  
  
It was a question that would linger   
silently for the next couple of days. In   
that period of time, Greg passed the   
examination for his job, and began to   
work... all despite having this thought in   
his head.  
  
Aside from this, Greg was with Amy most   
of the time, going to the library, a few   
museums, a movie, and even a romantic   
candlelight dinner... while always watching   
Amy's back for any sign from the   
Negaverse... which had not occurred yet,   
surprisingly.  
  
During the evening hours, despite   
repeated but futile resistance from Amy,   
Sasha would always sleep in the same bed,   
next to her mother of the future.  
After a week had passed, Greg had asked   
Amy and Sasha to meet him in the morning   
at the front of the northbound   
underground rail platform at Tokyo for a   
day trip to Chiba, where they would visit   
several parks together.  
  
True to the watch, Amy and Sasha arrived   
at platform 4 at 9:30 AM, seven minutes   
before the train was scheduled to depart.  
  
Amy was dressed in a yellow shirt with   
blue suspender jeans, nice blue sneakers   
and a blue headband over her hair. Sasha   
was in a yellow and blue sweater with   
white sneakers.  
  
Two minutes after their arrival, the   
train pulled into the station.  
  
"NOW ARRIVING," said the announcer, "IS   
THE 9:37 SOBU LINE TRAIN TO CHIBA, MAKING   
EXPRESS STOPS."  
  
"This is the train," said Amy.  
  
"But where is Greg?" asked Sasha.  
  
Greg was nowhere in sight as the train   
pulled into the station, stopping right   
on the mark.  
  
Amy and Sasha saw the doors of the train   
open up... but were hesitant to enter the   
train.  
  
A few more minutes passed... it was now   
9:35. Two minutes before departure. And   
as they very well knew, the punctuality   
of the Japanese trains was what made   
train travel in Japan very prestigious.   
So, if the train was listed to depart at   
9:37, then this train was going to leave   
AT 9:37.  
  
"THIS IS THE 9:37 SOBU LINE TRAIN TO   
CHIBA," said a fuzzy voice over the   
speakers inside the train. "STOPPING AT   
SHINNIHOMBASHI, BAKUROCHO, KINSHICHO,   
SHINKOIWA, ICHIKAWA, FUNABASHI,   
TSUDANUMA, INAGE AND CHIBA."  
  
Amy and Sasha were growing more hesitant.  
  
"WE WOULD REQUEST THAT AMY MIZUNO AND   
SASHA URAWA KINDLY ENTER THE TRAIN AT   
THIS TIME," the voice continued.  
  
Amy and Sasha gasped, their eyes wide   
open.  
  
"DID THEY JUST SAY OUR NAMES?" they   
shrieked in unison.  
  
Someone in the front of the train, in the   
driver's section, then slid open the side   
window and looked at the two young   
ladies.  
  
The man was wearing a black uniform with   
a white shirt, black tie, and a train   
operator's cap.  
  
The two ladies turned around and saw him.   
They gasped again, with Amy's hand   
covering her mouth.  
  
He looked a lot like Greg.  
  
"Well, are you two coming in or not?"   
said the voice, which was a lot like   
Greg's.  
  
It only took them a split second to   
realize... that it was Greg.  
  
"GREG!" they both yelled.  
  
Greg pointed to the first open door on   
the train. "Come on in!"  
  
Amy and Sasha wasted no time entering.  
  
As they did, the door to the driver's cab   
opened.  
  
"SURPR..." started Greg, who was unable to   
finish the word 'surprise' when Amy   
leaped into his arms.  
  
"You're driving the trains?" said Sasha   
with excitement.  
  
"Can you believe it?" said Greg. "The   
instructors were so pleased with my   
performance that they have assigned me to   
this express line. The ride will only   
take about 40 minutes, so in the meantime   
you can see what I'm doing."  
  
"I don't know what to say..." said Amy.  
  
"Well, you can thank Warren Sakai, the   
conductor, for saying your names   
correctly," Greg said with a smile. "He's   
in the back of the train, and he's in   
charge of opening and closing the doors."  
  
Greg then pressed a button in his cab   
that allowed him to speak to Warren.   
"Thanks very much, Warren!" said Greg.  
  
"Are they on the train with you now?"   
said Warren, his voice sounding fuzzy   
through the small speaker.  
  
"Yep, all in one piece, thank goodness,"   
Greg said. "Are we ready to go?"  
  
"Another 30 seconds," replied Warren.  
  
Greg understood the message, then clicked   
the reverser into the forward position   
and eased off on the brakes.  
  
"Hang on," said Greg. "This is going to   
be one quick ride to Chiba."  
  
Sasha was looking around the inside of   
the train with excitement as the doors   
closed, Greg released the brakes and   
started the train out of the station.  
  
The train slowly exited, and then picked   
up speed as it entered the dark tunnel.   
Sasha could hear the different motors   
kicking in as the train increased in   
speed.  
  
But, before Sasha knew it, it was time   
for Greg to apply the brakes, as the   
train had already reached its first   
station, Shin-Nihombashi.  
  
Over the next several station stops, as   
the train exited above ground and into   
the open air, Greg was explaining to Amy   
and Sasha how he got interested in   
trains, how he applied for the job, and   
how his schooling and testing went.  
  
His conversation with them stopped   
abruptly as he reached a red signal   
outside of the Funabashi station.  
  
"Hmm," said Greg. "We're halfway to   
Chiba, we're on the timetable, and we get   
a red light? This isn't supposed to   
happen... unless of course a train is stuck   
up ahead..."  
  
As Greg was surveying the situation, a   
call came over Greg's radio  
  
"ATTENTION ALL TRAIN OPERATORS AND   
CONDUCTORS!" blared the voice. "THERE   
APPEARS TO BE SOME KIND OF MONSTER ON THE   
LOOSE ON THE SOBU LINE! IT IS SLOWLY   
BEGINNING TO MAKE ITS WAY TOWARD TOKYO!   
ALL OPERATORS AND CONDUCTORS ARE ORDERED   
TO TAKE ALL NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS FOR THE   
SAFETY OF THE PASSENGERS!"  
  
Greg looked at Amy and Sasha immediately,   
with wide-open eyes. "Do you think..."   
started Greg.  
  
Amy's face turned stone cold. "You don't   
think that..."  
  
Greg turned to speak to Warren over the   
speaker. "Warren, did you copy that?" he   
said.  
  
"Affirmative," replied Warren. "What   
should we do about it?"  
  
"I'm going to see if we can get into the   
station," said Greg over the speaker.   
"Then we're going to dump the train."  
  
Sasha looked at Amy. "Dump the train?   
What does that mean?"  
  
"I think it means they're going to make   
everyone get out of the train and onto   
the platforms," Amy replied.  
  
"And we're going to have everyone leave   
the platforms, too," said Greg to Amy. "I   
really, really, am starting to get the   
strange feeling that this monster is   
after someone important, like you."  
  
Amy looked at Greg, her cheeks showing a   
small redness.  
  
In the meantime, Greg was talking over   
the radio to dispatch.  
  
"COPY," dispatch replied. "YOU ARE   
CLEARED TO BYPASS THE RED SIGNAL, ENTER   
FUNABASHI, AND CLEAR THE TRAIN."  
  
While Warren was giving the bad news to   
the passengers, Greg was slowly driving   
the train into the station.  
  
"Amy..." Greg said as he was driving, "I   
know that Sorinya has sent this monster   
after you. So what you and Sasha have to   
do is to file out of the train and mix   
into the crowd of passengers that will be   
heading onto the street."  
  
"You mean you want us to mix in with the   
crowd?" said Sasha.  
  
"Exactly," said Greg.   
  
"But what about you?" asked Amy.  
  
"I'll look out for, and possibly deal   
with, this monster," he replied. "When   
it's safe, I'll call everyone back on   
board."  
  
With that, the train stopped on the   
platform at Funabashi. "EVERYONE OUT OF   
THE TRAIN AND ONTO THE STREET, PLEASE!"   
Warren yelled.  
  
Amy and Sasha quickly filed out with   
everyone else.  
  
After about two minutes, Warren closed   
the doors.  
  
Save for Greg at the front and Warren in   
the rear, the train and the platform were   
completely empty, while a throng of   
worried passengers, Amy and Sasha among   
them, spilled out onto the street,   
waiting to see what would happen.  
  
"So now what do we do?" said Warren over   
the speaker.  
  
Greg took a deep breath, and then   
responded.  
  
"Wait."  
  
After several minutes had passed, Greg   
closed his eyes. He began to concentrate.  
  
Then, abruptly, Greg told Warren quickly   
over the speaker, "Lock your cab now!"  
  
"What? Are you sure?" asked Warren.  
  
"JUST DO IT!" Greg yelled over the   
speaker.  
  
"ALL RIGHT! ALL RIGHT!" Warren responded.  
  
Greg then opened his eyes... and saw a   
gooey, green glob stare at him in the   
face from the outside.  
  
The monster's trail of green slime could   
be seen on the roadbed behind him.  
  
"MERCURY!" the monster yelled, as it   
molded its way into the train. Greg could   
not believe what he was seeing... it was   
able to enter the train, without breaking   
any glass.  
  
Greg ran back halfway into the first car,   
before reaching for his cell phone.  
  
"This is something I'll have to do on my   
own," he said. "MERCURY KNIGHT POWER!"  
  
After his transformation was complete,   
Mercury Knight aimed his sword right at   
the gooey glob.  
  
"This is going to be too easy," said   
Mercury Knight. "MERCURY ICE BLADE   
CHARGE!"  
  
The ray of blue light that extended out   
of his sword shot straight at...  
  
... and through... the monster.  
  
Mercury Knight could not believe it...   
again.   
  
He furiously then came forward and   
slashed his sword several times through   
the monster's midsection.  
  
The monster didn't flinch, and   
immediately gripped at Mercury Knight's   
throat.  
  
Mercury Knight dropped his sword... and   
started to place his hands around those   
that were gripping at his neck.  
  
"MERCURY DIE! MERCURY DIE!" yelled the   
Monster, as Mercury Knight choked and   
gasped for air.  
On the street below, the people could   
hear one of the train cars overhead start   
to shake.  
  
Amy and Sasha were looking up at the   
train as well.  
  
Amy then turned to Sasha...  
  
"I love him..." she said softly to Sasha...   
"and I appreciate him for being concerned   
about me... but... he needs help... and we   
can't just leave him there..."  
  
"Do we transform?" Sasha said quietly.  
  
Amy grabbed Sasha's hand and looked   
around. "Come with me," she said. "Let's   
see if we can squeeze out of this crowd."  
Meanwhile, in the train, the monster was   
still yelling "DIE MERCURY!" as Mercury   
Knight began to turn blue. He wasn't   
going to last much longer. His eyesight   
and hearing were starting to slip.  
  
Suddenly, he could hear the faint sounds   
of glass breaking in the front of the   
train...  
  
Followed immediately by the monster's   
hands lowering in temperature and   
loosening its grip.  
  
Mercury Knight fell through onto the   
ground, grabbing his throat and gasping   
heavily for air.  
  
After a moment, he crawled past the   
frozen monster and toward the front of   
the train... where to his surprise, saw two   
young blue-haired ladies in fukus.  
  
Mercury Knight saw Sailor Mercury and   
Sailor Mini Mercury, then bowed his head   
and began to point down.  
  
"I told you to stay down there..." he   
grudgingly said.  
  
Sailor Mercury immediately opened her   
computer and began to search for a   
weakness. She had to do so quickly before   
the monster thawed out.  
  
"I found it," replied Sailor Mercury.   
"His composition is liquid except for his   
nose, which is solid. If... if we can   
destroy the nose, then it should destroy   
the rest of him."  
  
Meanwhile, Mercury Knight had activated   
his visor and had detected the same   
thing.  
  
At the same time, he recalled something   
about his future... and about his daughter.  
  
"Come here, Sasha," said Mercury Knight,   
who was regaining his strength, but still   
somewhat weak.  
  
"What is it?" said Sailor Mini Mercury.  
  
Mercury Knight held his sword up to Mini   
Mercury.  
  
"Do me a favor and slash off his nose,"   
he said, handing the sword to her.  
  
"GREG!" yelled Amy. "Why are you giving   
the sword to her? It's very dangerous!   
She could get hurt!"  
  
But Sailor Mini Mercury seemed to have no   
problems with it. She waved the heavy   
sword high above her head... took a huge   
leap into the air... and as the monster was   
coming to... she cut the monster's nose   
off.  
  
The monster groaned, and began to shake   
violently.  
  
Mercury Knight had gained enough strength   
to run out of the way. He quickly scooped   
up Mini Mercury, who was still holding   
the sword, and yelled at Sailor Mercury.   
"GET INTO THE DRIVER'S CAB! QUICKLY! THE   
MONSTER'S GONNA BURST!"  
  
Sailor Mercury immediately turned around   
and ran forward toward the cab, with   
Mercury Knight and Mini Mercury trailing.  
  
With the three inside the cab, Mercury   
Knight lowered Sailor Mini Mercury to the   
floor, and immediately closed the door   
and engaged the lock.  
  
And the timing couldn't have been better.  
  
As he engaged the lock, the monster burst   
in a huge liquefied explosion, with green   
slime spraying all over the first car of   
the train, but none of which entered the   
driver's cab.  
  
"The liquid should dissipate in a few   
minutes, then it'll be safe," said Sailor   
Mercury.  
  
Then, she felt two arms wrapping around   
her waist.  
  
"Thank you very much for coming in there   
and saving me," said Mercury Knight from   
behind.  
  
"Isn't it about time we saved you?" said   
Sailor Mini Mercury.  
  
Sailor Mercury smiled. "You've saved us   
too many times already," she said,   
turning to face her knight. "I couldn't...   
I mean, we couldn't... leave you alone like   
that."  
  
Mercury Knight lightly kissed Sailor   
Mercury on the head. "I have a feeling   
you may just be helping me out several   
more times," he said.  
  
He then kissed Sailor Mini Mercury's hair   
and ruffled it. "And thanks to you! You   
did a wonderful job!"  
  
Sailor Mini Mercury laughed. "That   
tickles!" she protested.  
  
Then looking at her future parents, she   
said, "My dad taught me how to use his   
sword, just in case there were any   
problems, and he wasn't able to do   
anything."  
  
As Sailor Mercury and Mercury Knight   
smiled in response, a voice came from   
over the speaker.  
  
"Greg!"  
  
It was Warren.  
  
"Are you all right in there?"  
  
Mercury Knight reached over to respond to   
Warren in a regular tone of voice. "Yeah,   
the monster just exploded in the first   
cab here. It just burst before my eyes... I   
didn't do a thing!"  
  
"Well, that's good news," replied Warren.   
"Is it going to be safe to continue?"  
  
"We'll have to close the first car,   
otherwise we're in good shape," replied   
Mercury Knight. "I'll keep you advised."  
  
As Mercury Knight finished talking,   
Sailor Mercury's watch began to light up.  
  
On her wristwatch communicator was Raye.  
  
Raye's cheeks were red as she talked to   
Amy.  
  
"Hey Amy! Do you need any help?"  
  
"No," responded Sailor Mercury, "the   
monster's destroyed, we'll be fine. Thank   
you for checking in!"  
  
Raye was smiling. "Ok!" she said, her   
cheeks still red.  
  
"Are you all right?" asked Sailor   
Mercury.  
  
"Oh yes..." responded Raye. "I couldn't be   
more happy right now!"  
  
"What are you so happy about?" asked   
Sailor Mercury.  
  
"Well..." started Raye.  
  
Mercury Knight then turned around slowly   
to face the front of the train.  
  
"Chad proposed," he said.  
  
Sailor Mercury looked at Mercury Knight,   
then back at her watch. "Did Chad propose   
to you?" she asked Raye.  
  
Raye's eyes lit up. "Yeah! How... how did   
you know?"  
  
Sailor Mercury paused for a moment.   
"Lucky guess..."  
  
"Well, of course I had to accept, and   
everyone is meeting up at the shrine   
tonight to celebrate! You guys have to   
come over."  
  
"We'll be there," Sailor Mercury   
responded.  
  
As Sailor Mercury closed the connection,   
Mercury Knight appeared worried.  
  
Chad had beaten him out.  
  
He could not believe it.  
  
And now, all pressure was coming down on   
him.  
  
To fulfill destiny, he was now it.  
  
He had to propose to Amy.  
  
But how could he do it?  
  
And more importantly, when could he do   
it?  
  
Mercury Knight turned back around to   
speak, but when he did, found himself in   
a deep and romantic kiss with his   
princess... and his future daughter eagerly   
looking on.  
  
"I know..." started Sailor Mercury. "I know   
that this has to happen, and I know that   
you're nervous about it... so am I..."  
  
"When are you going to ask Amy to marry   
you?" said Sailor Mini Mercury.  
  
"Whenever he's ready, Sasha," Sailor   
Mercury responded, turning back to her   
knight. "Whenever you are ready, Greg,"   
she said with a big smile. "You decide   
for yourself when the right moment is."  
  
Mercury Knight thought silently to   
himself...  
  
And shed a tear out of his left eye.  
  
Sailor Mercury gasped when she saw this.   
"Greg?" she said.  
  
"I... I..." said a choked Mercury Knight.  
  
Sailor Mercury smiled once again as she   
reached over with her right hand, and   
cleared the tear from his face with her   
thumb.  
  
Mercury Knight looked at Sailor Mercury.   
He remembered the times that he cleared   
the tears from Sailor Mercury's eyes with   
his thumb... this was the first time she   
had ever done it back to him.  
  
After a moment, Mercury Knight regained   
his composure, and hugged Sailor Mercury.  
  
Sailor Mini Mercury then wrapped her arms   
around the legs of her future parents,   
bringing smiles to their faces.  
  
Mercury Knight reached down to sheathe   
his sword, then lifted Sailor Mini   
Mercury up to eye level.  
  
Looking at the both of them, he replied:  
  
"There's going to be one moment soon...   
that will really test our loving   
relationship with each other... a life and   
death situation...  
  
"I'm confident," he said to Mini Mercury,   
"that we will pass this test.  
  
"That, my love," he said, turning to   
Sailor Mercury, "will be the right   
moment."  
****************************************  
And so, the Sailor Team... and especially Sasha,  
Greg and Amy... prepare for the showdown  
with Queen Sorinya.  
  
The showdown begins with Chapter 30 of The  
Saga of Mercury, to be released on or around May 25, 2003. 


	30. A Real Test

*****  
  
DISCLAIMER  
  
As usual, "Sailor Moon" and all related characters  
  
are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, TOEI  
  
Animation and other agencies.  
  
The Saga of Mercury story is copyrighted by me, however  
  
content in some chapters is based on the Mercury  
  
Knight Stories as described in the Chapter 1 Introduction.  
  
******  
  
You can view released chapters in PDF format by visiting  
  
the official web site of this fanfic, at:  
  
http://jrhorse.keiichi.net/sagaofmercury  
  
You can also view these chapters at:  
  
http://www.fanfiction.net  
  
http://www.moonromance.net  
  
http://www.mediaminer.org/fanfic  
  
http://www.fandomination.net  
  
http://www.efanfiction.net  
  
http://www.soupfiction.net  
  
http://www.dawn-mist.org  
  
http://neomercury.tripod.com  
  
Chapters are also posted weekly at the Sailor Moon newsgroup:  
  
news:alt.fan.sailor-moon  
  
******  
  
SAGA OF MERCURY FANS! Thank you for your  
  
support and patience in the long period of time  
  
between chapters.  
  
To thank you for your support, please feel free  
  
to enter my Saga of Mercury contest, in which  
  
you can win a cameo role in a future chapter!  
  
Scroll down for details... and thanks again!  
  
Jose I. Ramos  
  
June 21, 2003  
  
******  
  
The Saga of Mercury  
  
Chapter 30   
  
A Real Test  
  
Greg Urawa had already realized that an   
  
enormous amount of pressure was mounting...   
  
on the Sailor Scout team... and on him.  
  
Nothing but worries were starting to   
  
flood his head.  
  
With the power of the rainbow crystal, he   
  
knew that the big battle with Queen   
  
Sorinya was fast approaching. There was   
  
still a window of opportunity for   
  
preparation, but when it came time, he   
  
and the Sailor Scouts would need to come   
  
out with everything they had.  
  
And of course, there was something else,   
  
which weighed in his mind as equally as   
  
his thoughts about Sorinya...  
  
He had to propose to Amy.  
  
Yes, yes, he thought to himself...   
  
Every second of every minute of his life   
  
since he, Amy and Sasha de-liquefied that   
  
monster on the Sobu Line train...   
  
Every time he took even a small glance at   
  
Amy, whether it was meeting her for   
  
dinner, or meeting her in a Sailor Scout   
  
meeting at the shrine...  
  
And of course, with his feelings for Amy,   
  
he had to think about Sasha, who would be   
  
his future daughter, and the future   
  
protector of the planet Mercury...  
  
He was in a trance...  
  
The Japanese society values the thoughts   
  
of a group rather than the thoughts of an   
  
individual.  
  
So he had to start thinking more about   
  
Serena... Darien... Rini... and the others.  
  
Even though... deep inside... he had more   
  
feelings for...  
  
BZZZ! BZZZZZZ!  
  
Greg snapped out of it, and immediately   
  
pushed the throttle down and forward to   
  
pull out of Ofuna station on his morning   
  
Tokaido Line run to Tokyo station...   
  
followed by a two buzzer signal to the   
  
conductor acknowledging the "All Clear"   
  
signal.  
  
He had to concentrate on his job at hand...   
  
taking hundreds of sardine-packed   
  
southwest suburb commuters into the heart   
  
of Tokyo to begin their day jobs.  
  
45 minutes later, his run was completed...   
  
and his supervisor was standing right   
  
outside of the train.  
  
"Hello, Mr. Urawa," said Mr. Yashima, the   
  
supervisor for train operators.  
  
"Hello, sir," replied Greg, bowing.  
  
"Greg, I've noticed in the time that   
  
you've worked here that you've always   
  
been proud of your job," said Mr.   
  
Yashima. "Yet today... today you don't look   
  
so well... at least the way I saw you   
  
coming into the station now. Is there   
  
anything wrong?"  
  
"Well, sir, to tell you the truth, a lot   
  
of things are going on in my head,"   
  
replied Greg.  
  
"I can see that," he replied. "I tell you   
  
what, why don't I give you some time   
  
off?"  
  
"A few days off?" quipped Greg. "Uh... no   
  
that's really not necessary..."  
  
"I insist!" responded Mr. Yashima. "Your   
  
final run on the Narita Express is coming   
  
in shortly on the lower level. Take the   
  
forward section around the Yamanote Loop   
  
to Shinjuku and that'll be it for today.   
  
Give yourself a few days, then I'll send   
  
to to do some trips on the Yamanote   
  
Line."  
  
"Well, if you insist, thank you very   
  
much," replied Greg, bowing.  
  
Phew! Went a voice inside Greg's mind.   
  
The off time will allow me to concentrate   
  
on some other things...  
  
As Greg finished his day at Shinjuku, he   
  
took his driver's ID out and scanned the   
  
ID's barcode across the reader in the   
  
crew's room (the electronic timeslip).   
  
Then as he exited and headed upstairs, he   
  
saw some excitement going on...  
  
"What's this?" he said to himself as he   
  
exited onto the mezzanine. "A fair?"  
  
Sure enough, there was a technology fair   
  
that was just getting underway, now that   
  
the morning rush hour was over.  
  
Before Greg took the subway back to visit   
  
the shrine, he decided to wander around   
  
to see what might be of interest.  
  
Greg glanced over to see that there was a   
  
display for "electronic pyrotechnics"...  
  
"Fireworks!" he said.  
  
That gave him an idea.  
  
He approached the fireworks stall. A   
  
young man greeted him.  
  
"Good morning, sir! Would you like to   
  
know about our fireworks?" he said.  
  
"Well," Greg said, before looking at a   
  
few pictures of some fireworks displays.  
  
"Yes sir," replied the man, "those are   
  
some pictures of some of our greatest   
  
firework displays."  
  
Greg noticed that some of the fireworks   
  
in the photos looked very familiar.  
  
"Did... did you orchestrate the fireworks   
  
show for the Hikawa Shrine re-opening?"  
  
"Why, yes sir!" he replied. "Were you   
  
there?"  
  
"Yes I was..." said Greg. "And I think that   
  
is good enough for me..."  
  
Greg quickly thought about what was going   
  
on in his life.  
  
His left eye briefly caught a diamond   
  
jewelry display that was also open, a few   
  
steps down from where he was, mingled in   
  
between computer booths...  
  
He thought about the funds in his bank   
  
account....  
  
And then turned to the young man and   
  
smiled.  
  
"I'd like you to do something for me..."  
  
"And that's how you make a crane," said   
  
Sasha, who was showing Rini how to make   
  
origami.  
  
"Neat!" said Rini. "Who taught you that?   
  
Your mommy and daddy?"  
  
Sasha looked up toward the ceiling...  
  
"Yes," she replied, looking back at Rini   
  
again. "My mom taught me how to make   
  
several different ones. I tell you how to   
  
make an easier one."  
  
"All right," replied Rini.  
  
While Sasha and Rini were meticulously   
  
transforming sheets of paper into objects   
  
for the eye to behold, Serena and Amy   
  
were looking from a distance.  
  
"Amy," said Sasha, turning back to her   
  
blue-haired friend, "I'm starting to get   
  
worried about you."  
  
Amy looked at Serena with concern. "Why   
  
do you say that? Are you talking about   
  
Sorinya?"  
  
"Who else?" said Serena. "Ya know, even   
  
though I'm clumsy sometimes, I really   
  
care about you, and I don't want to see   
  
you get hurt. I'll do anything to make   
  
sure you won't get hurt."  
  
"Oh, Serena," replied Amy, "I know you'd   
  
do that... but I'm treating her like just   
  
another enemy."  
  
"Just another enemy?!" said a voice.  
  
Serena and Amy turned to see Raye, in her   
  
red kimono, come over with some hot tea.  
  
"What do you mean by that, Amy?" she   
  
said. "I'm with Serena, I'm afraid too."  
  
Amy put her hands flat down on the low   
  
table. "Guys, I thank you for your   
  
concerns, but I tell you, I'll be just   
  
fine!"  
  
Serena had the need to reiterate. "I   
  
would help you even if... if... I had to turn   
  
into an animal or something! Even..."  
  
Serena ad-libbed. "Even if I turn into a   
  
bunny, I would hop to your rescue!!"  
  
Serena then heard a loud, youthful laugh...   
  
from Rini.  
  
Sasha had just made an origami of what   
  
appeared to be an animal with a round   
  
face, two long ears and two big teeth.  
  
"SERENA IS A RABBIT! SERENA IS A RABBIT!"   
  
yelled Rini. "Look Serena, this bunny   
  
looks just like you!!"  
  
Serena's eyes bulged, irises narrowing.  
  
Amy and Raye chuckled.  
  
Sasha looked at the rabbit that she made.   
  
"Do you really think?"  
  
Raye snickered as she put two fingers   
  
behind each of Serena's odangos.  
  
"Now I really know I can count on you!"   
  
replied a smiling Amy.  
  
"Good," said Serena, regaining her   
  
composure. "And... I know I can count on   
  
you now to go up to Greg. See? He's   
  
outside with the others."  
  
Raye glanced toward and nodded at Amy.  
  
Amy looked outside of the window. Then   
  
she looked at Rini and Sasha, who stopped   
  
what they were doing to beam wide smiles   
  
at her.  
  
Amy began to enter into deep thought...  
  
Outside of the shrine, Greg was talking   
  
to Darien, Grandpa Hino, Chad, Lita, Ken,   
  
Mina, Jamie, Amara, Michelle and Hotaru...   
  
about his plan.  
  
"Well, this certainly has been one lucky   
  
time for all of you!" said Grandpa Hino.   
  
"I'll make sure to get my best dress for   
  
the marriage ceremonies! Black, with a   
  
lot of dragons around... I haven't worn it   
  
since..."  
  
"Um... okay!" replied Greg. "So what do you   
  
guys think?"  
  
"It's a tough choice with the options   
  
that you have," said Jamie. "But I'll   
  
stick with whatever you decide. If you   
  
want to propose to Amy before we focus on   
  
eliminating Queen Sorinya, then that's   
  
fine."  
  
"Personally I don't have a preference one   
  
way or the other," said Lita, "but at   
  
least this will take care of all of our   
  
engagements!"  
  
"Yeah..." said Chad with a smile. "I can't   
  
believe that strength really beat   
  
intelligence..."  
  
"Ohhh, yes," responded Amara.   
  
"Translation: Chad beat Greg out for   
  
popping the question."  
  
Greg glanced at Chad.  
  
"So you understand how this is going to   
  
work tomorrow, right?" Greg continued.   
  
"During the day the fireworks people are   
  
going to set up a short display, and by   
  
nighttime when we all meet here for   
  
dinner, it'll be all set... and I'll...   
  
propose."  
  
"You look a bit nervous," said Darien.  
  
"Nervous? Well..." replied Greg. "Yeah. But   
  
it's something I need to take care of.   
  
We, as a group, have to take care of   
  
Sorinya. But... I love Amy... that, I've   
  
figured out, is number one in my mind.   
  
Given what's going on, I feel like... no, I   
  
need to..."  
  
"SSH!" went Michelle and Hotaru. "They're   
  
coming!" whispered Hotaru.  
  
Greg looked over to see the others exit   
  
the shrine, and went to meet them. The   
  
others then silently looked at each   
  
other.  
  
Amy looked at Greg for just a moment,   
  
before her eyes fell to the ground.  
  
"Say something!" Raye whispered to Amy.  
  
Amy was looking for the right words to   
  
say.  
  
"Uh..." was all she could utter, her knees   
  
beginning to knock.  
  
Greg was a bit hesitant to speak as well,   
  
but finally got some words out.  
  
  
  
"It's a beautiful day," he said.  
  
"Yes!" said Amy, jumping at what Greg had   
  
just said. "Yes, uh... nice... nice day."  
  
The rest of them eagerly looked on...   
  
including a smiling Sasha.  
  
"What, uh... what brings you out here?"   
  
Greg asked her.  
  
"Well, um... I came out to tell you   
  
something... uh... Origami!!"  
  
Amy quickly turned to her right, and a   
  
surprised Sasha saw her origami bunny   
  
snatched right out of her hand.  
  
"Rini and Sasha created some nice paper   
  
figures out of these!" she cried out   
  
loud.  
  
Greg meticulously looked at the origami   
  
bunny that was made.  
  
"Wow, what a nice bunny," said Greg.   
  
"Kind of reminds me of someone I know..."  
  
Serena's eyebrows went down in response   
  
to the remark, her tongue sticking out as   
  
far as it would go, while the others   
  
laughed in agreement.  
  
"So," said Greg to Amy after everyone   
  
settled down, "what else is new?"  
  
"Um... well..." started Amy.  
  
Michelle whispered in a soft voice to   
  
Amara: "She'd better do it here..."  
  
Greg looked at Amy in earnest as she   
  
stumbled to find something to say...  
  
All while her face began to turn a shade   
  
of dark...  
  
"Oh, no," said Jamie, putting his hand on   
  
his face.  
  
It was evident that from her shaking   
  
knees, her shaking young body, and from a   
  
face that turned so red that steam was   
  
about to come out of her ears any second   
  
-- not from being angry, but from being   
  
nervous -- Amy couldn't think of anything   
  
else to say, except...  
  
"Will... I..."  
  
Lita looked on, and thought to herself,   
  
No Amy! It's not Will I, it's Will YOU!  
  
"I have to do some research, bye!"  
  
And with that, Amy quickly sprinted   
  
toward the shrine steps... and out of   
  
sight.  
  
Besides Raye, who started off after her,   
  
crying "Amy! Wait!"... Nobody even bothered   
  
to call out Amy's name...  
  
Not even Greg, who didn't have a clue   
  
what just went on.  
  
Greg turned to the others.  
  
"Oooooooo K," he said, "What just   
  
happened?"  
  
Serena started, "Don't you see, Amy was   
  
trying to ask you..."  
  
"HA, HA, HA!" laughed Jamie, who was so   
  
loud that Serena got cut off. "Amy is   
  
doing some kind of research project on...   
  
uh..."  
  
"On guys," said Chad, cutting in. "She's   
  
doing an intense study on men."  
  
The girls found themselves with   
  
sweatdrops after hearing that statement.  
  
"She's studying guys?" said Greg with   
  
bulging eyes. "Wow... who would have   
  
thought?"  
  
"She... she said that you were her   
  
inspiration," said Mina, who began to   
  
play along.  
  
"That's right," said Hotaru. "She says   
  
that... because you opened her up to a   
  
different, uh, what do you say, frame of   
  
mind? You opened her up to a whole new   
  
world..."  
  
"I think she means to say," said Darien,   
  
"she didn't feel like she really had a   
  
chance to have a successful, close   
  
relationship with someone before she met   
  
you."  
  
Greg was in another trance.  
  
His mind didn't seem to care about the   
  
validity of their statements.  
  
  
  
He was thinking about Amy.  
  
He then turned down to Sasha.  
  
"What do you think?" he asked her.  
  
Sasha nodded in response.  
  
Greg smiled.  
  
"Wow, if she really cares about me so   
  
much that it's given her the courage to   
  
start this project, that's all the more   
  
reason for me to propose to her...  
  
"Tomorrow... I can't wait..." he said.  
  
While the others looked on, Jamie   
  
whispered to his girlfriend from Venus.  
  
"So much for Amy proposing," he whispered   
  
to Mina.  
  
Amy ran down the street until she was far   
  
away from the Hikawa shrine.  
  
She sat down on a bench next to the road,   
  
panting heavily, sweating from her hair,   
  
with a skyrocketed heartbeat... and still   
  
with a slight blush.  
  
She turned her head and looked back in   
  
the direction that she came from.   
  
She then looked down towards the ground.  
  
She put her trembling right hand over her   
  
face.  
  
Why didn't I do it... she thought to   
  
herself. Why didn't I have the courage to   
  
propose to him?  
  
As she began to sob, a man approached   
  
her.  
  
"Excuse me, miss," said the man. "Are you   
  
all right?"  
  
"No... I just made a huge mistake..." she   
  
replied. "I should have done something,   
  
but I didn't."  
  
"You couldn't propose to that boy over at   
  
the shrine, now, could you?"  
  
Amy stopped crying, took her hand away   
  
from her face, and looked up.  
  
She saw an attractive-looking, well built   
  
man, who looked like he just came from   
  
the gym. He had blue sports trunks, white   
  
sneakers, and a tank top-type undershirt   
  
that helped to accentuate his large   
  
chest.  
  
"Just come with me," the man said, "and I   
  
can help solve all of your problems...   
  
AMY..."  
  
Amy's head quivered when she heard her   
  
name... it was as if something inside of   
  
her head was reacting to the name...  
  
She stood up... with the irises in her eyes   
  
turning from blue intelligence... to an   
  
evil red.  
  
Amy looked over the man's entire body...  
  
"You are one gorgeous hunk," she told   
  
him.  
  
With that, Amy put one arm around the   
  
man, who was smiling at this point...  
  
And the two began to walk down the block.  
  
Something inside Amy had just snapped.  
  
And Raye couldn't believe it.  
  
She was chasing Amy from a distance, and   
  
was hiding from behind a lamppost when   
  
she saw everything that was taking place.  
  
She was about to call out on her   
  
communicator to the other scouts, when   
  
she saw something that was even more   
  
unthinkable...  
  
Raye looked into the distance... and saw   
  
what was happening.  
  
She almost let out a shriek... she covered   
  
her mouth with her right hand, while the   
  
intensity of the moment sent her left arm   
  
sticking out toward the street.  
  
The next thing that Raye heard was   
  
screeching brakes from her left side,   
  
followed by two honks of the horn.  
  
Raye turned to see that a car had just   
  
stopped next to her, and the rear door   
  
was opening on its own.  
  
"Excuse me," said the driver. "Did you   
  
just hail for a taxi?"  
  
Raye looked forward, then to the taxi...   
  
then forward again... then at the taxi   
  
again.  
  
"Well?" said the driver.  
  
Raye hopped in.  
  
"Take me to the Hikawa Shrine, please!"   
  
she said.  
  
"You got it," said the taxi driver.  
  
With that, the taxi rounded the block and   
  
headed back north toward Raye's home.  
  
Back at the shrine, Greg was on the steps   
  
that led out of the shrine, along with   
  
Mina, Jamie and Hotaru.  
  
"I hope we can round her up for tomorrow   
  
night," said Greg. "I forfeit the deposit   
  
for the fireworks if this doesn't work!"  
  
"Believe me, my good friend," replied   
  
Jamie. "You have to be optimistic! There   
  
should be no problems at all."  
  
Just then, the taxi pulled up to the   
  
shrine, and Raye plopped out.  
  
"You guys, we have a serious problem,"   
  
she said.  
  
Greg turned back to Jamie with a blank   
  
stare.  
  
"Oooh! Yeah, Jamie! I'm VERY optimistic!"   
  
he said.  
  
"Greg, I'm not joking," said Raye. "It's   
  
about Amy... something has happened..."  
  
"What? What happened with her?" said   
  
Greg.  
  
"Is she all right?" said Mina.  
  
"Well... is everyone else up there?" said   
  
Raye.  
  
"They're just about to leave for the day...   
  
Sasha's with Rini..." said Greg.  
  
"Let's get to them quick," Raye   
  
responded.  
  
"Oh boy, it's that bad..." said Jamie.  
  
The five ran up the steps... with Hotaru   
  
holding on to Greg's hand.  
  
"I hope everything is all right," she   
  
said.  
  
"She WHAT!!" yelled Greg as everyone else   
  
gasped.  
  
"She kissed that guy," said Raye.  
  
Greg took a few steps back and almost   
  
passed out.  
  
After a moment in which everyone was   
  
silent... Greg sat on one of the benches...  
  
"This cannot be happening..." he said. "Do   
  
you know who he was?"  
  
"I don't know... I haven't seen him before...   
  
all I saw is that he came up to her, and   
  
before too long, they were kissing each   
  
other!  
  
"I can't believe Amy would pull something   
  
off like that! The nerve!" Raye said.  
  
Greg was already depressed.  
  
A wailing Sasha went up to Greg and   
  
hugged him tightly.  
  
"No... Amy couldn't do this to me... to us..."   
  
Greg said, looking up.  
  
"...Could she?"  
  
The scouts attempted to contact Amy in   
  
any way that they could... by wristwatch   
  
communicator, by phone, by fax, by e-  
  
mail, even with a rush telegram to her   
  
house. But they were either unanswered or   
  
undeliverable.  
  
When morning came, they were all at the   
  
Crown Parlor... exhausted... except for Rini   
  
and Sasha, who were sleeping at their   
  
respective homes from all of the   
  
excitement.  
  
"Hey Greg, sorry to hear that Amy ditched   
  
you," said Andrew as he brought over a   
  
stack of pancakes. "I'm gonna serve you   
  
first today. See if it helps take your   
  
mind off of it at all."  
  
Greg looked at the golden brown pancakes   
  
in front of him, with the melting butter   
  
on top and the side of maple syrup.  
  
He tried to smile...  
  
He couldn't...  
  
But he started eating them anyway.  
  
"They're good, thanks," replied Greg in a   
  
monotonous, food-stuffed voice.  
  
Andrew shook his head in disbelief as he   
  
went back to the counter. "Well, at least   
  
I tried," he said, taking his position.  
  
Jamie excused himself from the table, and   
  
then went up to Andrew.  
  
"Don't worry Andy, you've tried your   
  
best," he said. "After all, Greg's been   
  
like this all night long."  
  
"So have you, apparently," replied   
  
Andrew.  
  
"Oh well, it's been pretty long for all   
  
of us..." said Jamie. "Greg is just... not   
  
himself. You can add to that, he's going   
  
to lose the deposit he had for tonight's   
  
fireworks... he's going to have to return   
  
the ring that he got Amy... I guess he got   
  
one for her... AND he has to go back to   
  
work tomorrow, on the Yamanote Line."  
  
"The Yamanote Line?!" said Andrew. "Where   
  
the trains run every three minutes and   
  
the passengers pack on like sardines? He   
  
won't be able to survive."  
  
Just then, as Greg was eating and as   
  
Jamie and Andrew were still talking, the   
  
other scouts looked at the main entrance.  
  
Darien took the fork from Greg's hand.   
  
"Look who it is!" he said.  
  
Mina ran from the table over to Andrew   
  
and Jamie. "Look!" she cried.  
  
Entering the Crown parlor was none other   
  
than...  
  
Greg stood up immediately and saw a woman   
  
with short blue hair take a seat near the   
  
entrance.  
  
He excused himself from the table, then   
  
walked on over as the others looked on.  
  
Greg stopped a few feet short of where   
  
the woman was.  
  
The woman was reading a book... then looked   
  
up to him.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Amy?" said Greg.  
  
"Uh... yes?"  
  
Greg crouched down and held her hand.  
  
"Amy! Where have you been?" he said.  
  
Amy gasped and removed the man's hands   
  
from her own.  
  
"Stop that! I don't know who you are,"   
  
she said.  
  
"You don't know me? Have you been high on   
  
something? It's me, Greg... U... rawa..."  
  
Greg stopped when he looked into Amy's   
  
eyes...  
  
Her eyes were deep red in color.  
  
Greg then inched back.  
  
"You... you haven't met me before?" said   
  
Greg.  
  
"No, now could you please leave me   
  
alone?"  
  
"What kind of crap is this," said Chad in   
  
a loud voice, standing up and approaching   
  
the two.  
  
Amy looked at the other man that was   
  
approaching her.  
  
"You don't know who we are? We're your   
  
best friends, Greg and Chad, don't you   
  
rem..."  
  
Amy immediately threw her arms in front   
  
of her, in the direction of Chad, yelling   
  
in a booming voice, "LEAVE ME ALONE!!!"  
  
She pressed her hands forward to Chad...  
  
And all of a sudden...  
  
Chad found himself flying in the air,   
  
over the entire length of the restaurant...  
  
"LOOK OUT!" yelled Jamie.   
  
Jamie and Andrew jumped out of the way in   
  
the nick of time...  
  
As Chad crashed headfirst into the   
  
counter from which Andrew worked,   
  
completely destroying it.  
  
Everyone in the entire restaurant gasped.   
  
Some of the women screamed.  
  
"CHAD!!!" wailed Raye.  
  
All of the Sailor Scouts stood up and   
  
looked at the wreckage.  
  
Greg immediately stood up and backed away   
  
from Amy.  
  
Jamie was the first to reach Chad in the   
  
wreckage, with Darien, Ken, Amara and   
  
Michelle following suit. Andrew ran right   
  
to the phone to call for an ambulance.  
  
Raye was trying to get to Chad, but was   
  
held back by Greg, who had reached the   
  
table.  
  
"LET ME GO!" cried Raye. "GREG, PLEASE   
  
LET ME GO!"  
  
  
  
Raye then turned to Amy. "WHAT HAVE YOU   
  
DONE?!?!" she cried.  
  
Amy stood up and was ready to leave, when   
  
she once again caught the attention of   
  
everyone who was in there.  
  
"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" she bellowed, her   
  
red eyes lighting up in hate...  
  
...and a faint, bright, inverted crescent   
  
momentarily appearing on the top of her   
  
head...  
  
...before storming out of the parlor.  
  
Greg and Raye froze for a moment at what   
  
they saw...  
  
Then turned their attention back to Chad.  
  
By the time they had gotten to Chad's   
  
body, Jamie was already frantically   
  
searching for life signs.  
  
Raye's face turned into one of disbelief,   
  
her eyes falling upon what appeared to   
  
become a lifeless body.  
  
"NO!" she cried. "DON'T TELL ME! PLEASE!   
  
HE'S NOT... HE'S NOT..."  
  
Jamie kept running his fingers around the   
  
top of Chad's body.  
  
Jamie's head then froze.  
  
He kept moving his fingers, starting to   
  
realize that it might be to no avail.  
  
"Come on Chad!" yelled Darien.  
  
Tears were starting to come out of the   
  
women's faces.  
  
"No," said Jamie.  
  
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN NO!!" yelled Raye, now   
  
being restrained once again by Greg.   
  
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN NO!!!! PLEASE, DON'T DO   
  
THIS TO ME!!! PLEASE!!!"  
  
Jamie began to shake his head.  
  
"I'm sorry..." said Jamie. "He's..."  
  
Just then his fingers stopped moving... and   
  
he could feel something.  
  
"No, wait..." said Jamie.  
  
Jamie looked back down at Chad's body.  
  
Raye froze.  
  
"He's got a pulse!" said Jamie. "But   
  
barely. We've got to get him to the   
  
hospital right away."  
  
Andrew ran back from the phone. "The   
  
ambulance is on its way," he said.  
  
"Stay with us, Chad! Please!" said   
  
Michelle.  
  
The other scouts who where there did   
  
likewise.  
  
At that point, Greg let Raye go... and Raye   
  
immediately ran to the aid of her knight.  
  
All the scouts could really do was wait   
  
for an ambulance... they couldn't transform   
  
in the presence of the restaurant's other   
  
customers, who were looking on in shock.  
  
Greg then turned and started for the   
  
door.  
  
"Hey, Greg!" yelled Ken. "Where are you   
  
going?"  
  
Ken ran up to Greg and stopped him before   
  
he reached the door.  
  
"Where are you going, man? We've got to   
  
save one of our own!"  
  
"I know that," Greg replied.  
  
"So?"  
  
Greg thought for a moment.  
  
He whispered into Ken's ear...  
  
"Looks like Amy was 'taken in' by the   
  
Negaverse... I think by that guy who kissed   
  
her yesterday..."  
  
Ken's eyes opened wide. "So now what?   
  
What are you going to do? You're just   
  
going to leave? You're just going to let   
  
Chad DIE on us?"  
  
"Chad... Chad's going to be fine," said   
  
Greg.  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
Greg looked at Ken. "Trust me... Get him to   
  
the hospital; his brain surgery will be   
  
successful. In the meantime, I've got to   
  
do what I can to save someone before THAT   
  
person's brain gets more fried than it is   
  
now."  
  
Ken thought for a moment.  
  
"I understand," he said.  
  
"Listen, I've got to do this all alone,"   
  
Greg said. "You and the others should   
  
stay with Chad until medical help   
  
arrives."  
  
"All right, I'll trust you," said Ken,   
  
putting his hands on Greg's shoulders.  
  
"Good luck," he said.  
  
Greg bowed to Ken... and left the parlor.  
  
Outside of the Crown Parlor, Greg looked   
  
left and right, frantically trying to see   
  
where Amy went.  
  
After searching around the immediate   
  
area, Greg darted into a dark alleyway.  
  
"Ok," Greg said. "Amy, if I'm not going   
  
to find you this way, then I'll have to   
  
find you the other way."  
  
Greg released the cell phone from his   
  
belt clip, flipped it open, and held it   
  
high in the air.  
  
"MERCURY KNIGHT POWER!"  
  
After his transformation sequence had   
  
completed, Mercury Knight jumped up into   
  
the bright sky, yelling "MERCURY   
  
TELEPORT!"  
  
Instantly, he found himself soaring high   
  
in the air... heading north towards the   
  
Harajuku and Roppongi district.  
  
Everyone looks like dots, he thought to   
  
himself. I'd better get down low without   
  
blowing my cover.  
  
He was about to do so, when suddenly...  
  
BOOM!  
  
Mercury Knight was startled with a   
  
tremendous gust of wind.  
  
The wind was so strong that it was   
  
encircling Mercury Knight... forming into   
  
some kind of tornado-like vortex.  
  
Mercury Knight could feel the tremendous   
  
pressure all over his body.  
  
He flung his arms wide, desperate to try   
  
to control himself.  
  
The intensity of the wind grew and grew...  
  
Until finally...  
  
It stopped.  
  
The next thing Mercury Knight knew, it   
  
was pitch black... and he couldn't move his   
  
arms anymore...  
  
Or his legs...  
  
He was tied up...  
  
... somewhere.  
  
"What the..." he started to say.  
  
"WHAT THE, INDEED!" said a strong voice.  
  
Mercury Knight looked around in the   
  
darkness. "Who said that!" he cried out.   
  
"I demand to know!"  
  
He then saw a lightly visible blue mist   
  
straight ahead, closing in and becoming   
  
more visible.  
  
Mercury Knight looked intently at the   
  
blue mist as it drew closer and closer.  
  
"I have a funny feeling you're not a   
  
friendly person," Mercury Knight said.  
  
"WELL THAT DEPENDS ON HOW YOU LOOK AT   
  
IT," said the voice. "AS FOR YOU, I HATE   
  
YOU SO MUCH THAT I WANT YOU DEAD!"  
  
Mercury Knight heard howling laughter... as   
  
something began to took shape from within   
  
the blue mist.  
  
It was the same well built man with the   
  
blue sports trunks, white sneakers, and   
  
undershirt that Raye had originally   
  
spotted.  
  
"YOU!" yelled Mercury Knight. "YOU TOOK   
  
MY GIRLFRIEND! WHAT GIVES?"  
  
The man drew closer to Mercury Knight.  
  
"Yes, I took your girlfriend, and I'm   
  
proud of it," said the man. "All part of   
  
Sorinya's plan to take over the world,   
  
I'm afraid."  
  
"AHA!" said Mercury Knight. "So it is the   
  
Negaverse behind this! I was right?"  
  
The man chuckled in an evil tone.  
  
"You can call me... Bob."  
  
"Bob?!" replied Mercury Knight. "So let   
  
me get this straight, out of all the   
  
names that Negaverse warriors have had in   
  
the past, your name is... BOB?"  
  
Bob looked at him.  
  
"That's short for Boburanzo, and don't   
  
you forget that!" he replied.  
  
Mercury Knight looked at Bob with anger,   
  
yelling "HEY! THAT'S MY LINE!" as Bob   
  
turned back toward the blue mist.  
  
"Oh well, it doesn't matter now... as long   
  
as I've got someone who's so dear to me...   
  
and will be so dear to the Negaverse..."  
  
Bob outstretched his hand toward the blue   
  
mist...  
  
And another hand reached out from the   
  
blue mist to grab it.  
  
Mercury Knight could not see what was   
  
going on, since Bob was blocking his   
  
view.  
  
Bob then turned around.  
  
"Yes, it's your EX-girlfriend, and now   
  
mine..." he said, stepping aside, "SAILOR   
  
MERCURY!"  
  
Mercury Knight could now see Sailor   
  
Mercury in his sights, the bright red   
  
still emanating from her eyes.  
  
"Go on, my dear," said Bob. "Do as I   
  
discussed..."  
  
Sailor Mercury stepped up to Mercury   
  
Knight.  
  
"Amy... come on... get some common sense into   
  
yourself... please..."  
  
Sailor Mercury reached down to the dark   
  
floor and picked up Mercury Knight's   
  
sword.  
  
Mercury Knight didn't realize that his   
  
sword was in his sheath... until he saw   
  
Sailor Mercury pick it up.  
  
Bob laughed hysterically. "In just sixty   
  
seconds, Mercury Knight, Sailor Mercury   
  
will thrust your sword into your very own   
  
body... reminiscent of that time long ago   
  
when you tried to kill yourself... don't   
  
you remember that?"  
  
Mercury Knight painfully remembered that   
  
moment.  
  
"Well, let me put it in simple terms,"   
  
Bob said, inching closer to Mercury   
  
Knight's face.  
  
"You," said Bob, "will..."  
  
Bob was cut off by Sailor Mercury.  
  
"DIE. DIE," she said.  
  
Bob smiled at Sailor Mercury and kissed   
  
her.  
  
Mercury Knight saw this... and was getting   
  
both scared and steamed.  
  
Bob turned back to Mercury Knight.  
  
"SIXTY SECONDS!" he barked.  
  
Sailor Mercury struck an evil smile as   
  
she raised the sword above her head, its   
  
point aiming at Mercury Knight.  
  
Mercury Knight had to do something...   
  
quick.  
  
He couldn't read the outcome of his event   
  
from the rainbow crystal.  
  
So he closed his eyes.  
  
I wish my friends could listen to me... he   
  
said to himself... Darien? Jamie? Serena?   
  
Anyone? I need help... help me...  
  
In the Crown Parlor, the sailor scouts   
  
who were left started to hold their heads   
  
in discomfort.  
  
Jamie was trying to clean up with Andrew   
  
when he started to feel something.  
  
"Aaah..." went Jamie.  
  
"You alright man?" asked Andrew. "What's   
  
up?"  
  
"Uh... I don't know..." went Jamie. "If I   
  
knew it, I'd definitely tell you..."  
  
Meanwhile, at the hospital, Raye, Darien   
  
and Serena were starting to feel the same   
  
way.  
  
As soon as Chad was taken into emergency   
  
surgery, they felt discomfort as well.  
  
"You starting to feel as if someone's   
  
talking to us?" said Darien.  
  
They settled down as they started to   
  
realize...  
  
"Is that Greg?" went Raye.  
  
"I think Greg's trying to talk to us,"   
  
said Jamie to Andrew.  
  
"Whoa... is this from your special power   
  
to..."  
  
"Ssh," went Jamie, "let me try to   
  
listen..."  
  
Jamie translated to Andrew what he and   
  
the others were hearing...  
  
I don't have that much time left to go,   
  
if these demons get their way. Amy is   
  
ready to thrust my sword into me...  
  
"He don't say!" went Andrew.  
  
Amy is still possessed by the Negaverse...   
  
please if you can, concentrate all of   
  
your energy on her... tell her to stop...   
  
tell her that she's being controlled by   
  
the side of evil... tell her to snap out...   
  
like I'm trying to do. Please! I need all   
  
of your help! Call on your planets power   
  
deep within you to make Amy turn towards   
  
good, like she's always been...  
  
Raye, Darien and Serena joined hands at   
  
the hospital.  
  
Lita, Ken, Hotaru, Amara and Michelle   
  
were holding hands at the table inside   
  
the Crown.  
  
Inside Serena's house, Luna, Artemis and   
  
Rini were now alert as to what was going   
  
on.  
  
At Greg's place, Sasha was about to get   
  
into the shower when she began to realize   
  
that something was wrong with her future   
  
parents.  
  
In the Crown, Mina ran up to where the   
  
counter used to be to hold Jamie's hand.  
  
Jamie took Andrew's hand.  
  
"Wha..."  
  
"Don't worry, we've got to try to save   
  
Amy," said Jamie. "Just concentrate..."  
  
Andrew sighed. "All right," he said,   
  
closing his eyes.  
  
Each of the sailor soldiers whispered to   
  
themselves, as if they were talking to   
  
Amy... and they believed that they were.  
  
"In the name of the Moon," went Serena,   
  
"please Amy. You're our best friend.   
  
Don't do this to him. Please be good   
  
again!"  
  
"In the name of Mars," went Raye. "I   
  
can't blame you now for what happened to   
  
Chad. I know it wasn't your fault. Please   
  
come back..."  
  
Y... yeah... struggled Chad in his thoughts,   
  
in a brief moment of awareness before the   
  
anesthetics began to kick in. I know   
  
you'll make the correct decision...  
  
"Come on Amy," went Darien, "make the   
  
right choice."  
  
"On behalf of Jupiter," went Lita, "let   
  
the forces of thunder and lightning   
  
strike Sailor Mercury to realize the   
  
wrong that has been cast upon her..."  
  
"Bring her back," went Ken.  
  
"Mommy, Daddy," went a sobbing Sasha.  
  
"In the name of Saturn," went Hotaru,   
  
"please give Amy new life, the way she   
  
used to be..."  
  
"In the name of the moon of the future,"   
  
went Rini, "please don't let them take   
  
Amy away from us..."  
  
"Please do not harm Amy," went Michelle,   
  
"in the name of Neptune."  
  
"On behalf of Uranus, please don't let   
  
them do this..." said Amara.  
  
"On behalf of Venus..." went Mina, holding   
  
Jamie and Andrew's hands, "please let the   
  
beauty of Amy... Sailor Mercury... live once   
  
again..."  
  
Andrew was starting to hear the messages   
  
of support now... and he didn't know from   
  
where.  
  
"Greg, you've got my unconditional   
  
support... in the name of the Venus... M...   
  
Military?"  
  
Mina and Jamie opened their eyes. "Venus   
  
Military?" went Jamie.  
  
Jamie then said quietly, "Amy... you have   
  
heard the cries of your friends..."  
  
A pause.  
  
"...even of Andrew..."  
  
Jamie looked at Andrew.  
  
"Please believe in yourself," Jamie   
  
continued. "Don't let the Negaverse take   
  
control of you. You are one of our best   
  
friends...   
  
The messages were starting to echo inside   
  
Sailor Mercury.  
  
Sailor Mercury's eyes were starting to   
  
turn from red to clear...  
  
...from the clear tears that were starting   
  
to come out.  
  
We love you with all of our hearts... she   
  
could hear Jamie say... and we don't want   
  
to lose you to the Negaverse... especially   
  
the man in front of you that you want to   
  
get rid of... he's been the love of your   
  
life... he will always be, as we are all   
  
destined to a future of peace...  
  
Sailor Mercury looked at Mercury Knight   
  
through her tears.  
  
"I think he's right," said Mercury   
  
Knight. "I love you..."  
  
Sailor Mercury was still holding the   
  
sword high above her head.  
  
Meanwhile, Bob barked "TIME IS UP!"  
  
Sailor Mercury didn't move.  
  
Tears were now streaming out of her eyes...  
  
... and she whispered to Mercury Knight…  
  
"I... l... love you... Greg..."  
  
Mercury Knight smiled, then got scared as   
  
Sailor Mercury lifted the sword, as if   
  
ready to thrust down.  
  
Bob looked in disgust and walked over to   
  
where Sailor Mercury was.  
  
"What's going on here? Time's up and   
  
you're supposed to..."  
  
Bob never finished his sentence.  
  
Sailor Mercury used all of her strength   
  
to thrust the sword down towards Mercury   
  
Knight...  
  
... past Mercury Knight...  
  
And into Bob.  
  
Sailor Mercury had made a complete semi-  
  
circular thrust with the sword, catching   
  
Bob off guard.  
  
Bob was gasping as he fell back.  
  
Sailor Mercury then let go of the sword   
  
and turned around.  
  
  
  
Bob continued to gasp in shock, the sword   
  
still through his stomach.  
  
"You just don't get it, do you?" said a   
  
choking Sailor Mercury. "Your efforts   
  
have failed... and all of the efforts of   
  
the Negaverse will fail... I will do   
  
anything to fight for justice... even if it   
  
means protecting the people that I love..."  
  
Mercury Knight looked on as Bob staggered   
  
to the ground and disappeared in a cloud   
  
of bright white smoke.  
  
Left in the wake was Mercury Knight's   
  
stained sword.  
  
"YES!" shouted Mercury Knight.  
  
Sailor Mercury looked at her knight and   
  
smiled.  
  
She then took out the Shabon Rod (aka her   
  
extended transformation stick) and yelled   
  
"MERCURY HEALING ACTIVATION!"  
  
The showers of light and bubbles once   
  
again stretched forth out of the Shabon   
  
Rod... and onto Mercury Knight.  
  
Not only was Mercury Knight starting to   
  
feel rejuvenated... the ropes that binded   
  
him were starting to melt.  
  
After a moment of being covered in the   
  
magical and cool fog, Mercury Knight   
  
broke free and began to take a few steps   
  
forward... noticing that the symbol of   
  
Mercury was beginning to shine on his   
  
forehead.  
  
"Thank you, Sailor Mercury..."  
  
"Maybe you should call me 'Princess   
  
Amy'..." said a familiar, feminine voice.  
  
Mercury Knight came out of the fog... and   
  
saw someone in a beautiful, sparkling   
  
blue dress... with short, blue hair... tears   
  
still coming out... and the planetary   
  
symbol shining on her head.  
  
They wasted no time.  
  
Mercury Knight and Princess Amy ran up to   
  
each other for a tight, deep embrace.  
  
"I LOVE YOU!" said Princess Amy.  
  
Mercury Knight backed away...  
  
"I love you too," he said, as he leaned   
  
forward to kiss his princess.  
  
The two shared a long kiss...  
  
A passionate kiss...  
  
Soon, Mercury Knight began to feel   
  
something strange in his mouth...  
  
...something he felt for the first time in   
  
a kiss...  
  
Could it be?  
  
Yes... it was...  
  
Mercury Knight broke the kiss abruptly...  
  
And saw Princess Amy looking at him... with   
  
her tongue sticking out.  
  
Mercury Knight's eyes went wide. "Are you   
  
tonguing me?!" he said in amazement.  
  
Her head nodded in agreement, her tongue   
  
moving with it.  
  
Mercury Knight smiled as he took his   
  
finger and pushed Princess Amy's tongue   
  
back into her mouth. "Are you drunk or   
  
something?" he asked.  
  
Princess Amy was blushing deeply now... and   
  
she rested her head on his chest.  
  
"Yes," she responded, her gorgeous blue   
  
eyes looking up to him... "I'm drunk... I'm   
  
drunk with love..."  
  
Mercury Knight looked down at her.   
  
"You're drunk with love... Amy, I haven't   
  
seen you act this way since...... ever!"  
  
Princess Amy lifted her head. "You don't   
  
like it?"  
  
"Oh no, no, no... of course..." responded   
  
Mercury Knight. "Of course I like it... I   
  
just... I just don't recall you ever   
  
feeling like THIS before..."  
  
Princess Amy smiled.  
  
"Maybe that's because I've never felt so   
  
much love for you... as I do now..." she   
  
said.  
  
Mercury Knight smiled back.  
  
"Calm down... Just never forget," he said,   
  
embracing her once again, "my feelings   
  
for you will never change... even if some   
  
day, the same thing that happened to you   
  
happens to me... deep down, I want you to   
  
understand that I will always love you."  
  
"And I will, too," said Princess Amy.  
  
"Now... I want to show you something that   
  
symbolizes my unconditional love..." said   
  
Mercury Knight.  
  
"So do I," said Princess Amy.  
  
The two simultaneously pulled out   
  
engagement rings.  
  
Mercury Knight looked at the ring that   
  
Princess Amy was holding.  
  
Princess Amy gasped when she saw the ring   
  
that Mercury Knight was holding.  
  
"Well... they sort of told me that you were   
  
trying to propose to me yesterday..." said   
  
Mercury Knight.  
  
"I had no idea... you would get..." started   
  
Princess Amy.  
  
"Ssh," went Mercury Knight. "I have a   
  
good idea... if we're going to profess our   
  
love to each other, I want to make sure,   
  
positively sure, that the others know   
  
about it... I want to go to the Hikawa   
  
Shrine tonight and meet up with the other   
  
scouts..."  
  
"Why?" said Princess Amy. "Why not here,   
  
now?"  
  
Mercury Knight smiled and put his finger   
  
on Princess Amy's lips.  
  
"You'll soon find out."  
  
Soon it was evening, and the scouts had   
  
gathered at the Hikawa Shrine... save for   
  
Raye and Serena, who were at the   
  
hospital, and Chad, who was in the   
  
recovery room following successful   
  
surgery.  
  
Sasha and Rini had joined the other   
  
scouts that were at the Shrine, as well   
  
as Andrew, who was invited by Jamie.  
  
"Thank you very much for coming, folks,"   
  
said Greg, holding Amy's hand. Both were   
  
dressed in formal attire.  
  
Next to them, three representatives from   
  
the fireworks company had their computer   
  
control panel set up, and were ready to   
  
start the fireworks show on Greg's   
  
command.  
  
Greg and Amy turned to each other...  
  
They looked at each other for a while.  
  
"Come on!" yelped Sasha.  
  
"Ok, ok!" yelled Greg.  
  
Greg took out his engagement ring and   
  
took Amy's hand.  
  
"Now I think there's room on that hand   
  
for one more ring..." he said, pointing out   
  
Amy's Scout Ring.  
  
Greg took the ring and placed it on Amy's   
  
ring finger, right next to the scout   
  
ring.  
  
Amy then took her ring and placed it on   
  
Greg's ring finger.  
  
"Greg..." went Amy. "Greg, I know you're   
  
supposed to ask me this, but, will you   
  
marry me?"  
  
Greg's head snapped back slightly while   
  
the others chuckled. "Yeah, that's right...   
  
Amy, the answer is yes..."  
  
Amy smiled and was ready to hug him...  
  
"BUT... and I'm just going to say this   
  
because I was ready to... Will you marry   
  
me, Amy Mizuno?"  
  
Amy inched closer to Greg's face...  
  
"Does this answer your question?"  
  
Greg closed his eyes as his lips met   
  
those of Amy.  
  
The other scouts cheered, and Sasha ran   
  
up to her future parents to hug them.  
  
As Greg and Amy were embracing, Darien   
  
was on the phone with Serena, telling her   
  
the official word.  
  
Greg then turned to the people from the   
  
fireworks. "You guys ready?"  
  
The fireworks people nodded.  
  
"All right then, let's get this show on   
  
the road."  
  
One of the employees stepped forward.   
  
"Everyone, please get comfortable,   
  
because we proudly present a show that   
  
you will never forget!"  
  
With that, one of the other employees   
  
pushed the space bar on his keyboard.  
  
Ten seconds later, the fireworks display...   
  
featuring blue and white as the only   
  
colors... was on.  
  
The scouts looked in awe at the   
  
tremendous display that was before them.  
  
As the show was in progress, Jamie   
  
crawled over to Andrew.  
  
"Hey Andy... I think I've figured it out...   
  
you're a knight from Venus, but you don't   
  
realize it..."  
  
"Until now," Andrew replied.  
  
"Wow, to think you were once Captain   
  
Andrew of the Planetary Military on   
  
Venus... I bet we were buddies for a   
  
while..."  
  
"Just tell Greg to fill me in on the   
  
story when he can," chuckled Andrew.  
  
Mina then went over to hug Andrew.  
  
"Thanks for helping us out today," said   
  
Mina. "I have a feeling Amy and Greg   
  
wouldn't make it if it wasn't for you."  
  
"Welcome to the Sailor Scout team, Sailor   
  
uh... or something... something knight," said   
  
a now confused Jamie. "Anyway, we'll   
  
think of something up... but I have a   
  
really good feeling about our continued   
  
partnership."  
  
"Whatever you say man," replied Andrew.   
  
"I'm happy to help my best friends out."  
  
As the fireworks continued, the spotlight   
  
shone on three groups...  
  
Andrew, who was now officially a member   
  
of the Sailor Scout team...  
  
Chad, who was going to survive that nasty   
  
incident at the Crown...  
  
... and Greg and Amy of Mercury... who truly   
  
felt compassion and love for each other...   
  
and who would pledge their lives to each   
  
other if the Negaverse threw anything   
  
more at them...  
  
... and they knew...  
  
... the fight was already underway...  
  
... and ...  
  
... after all that he had been through in   
  
the past few days ...  
  
... Greg had to go back to work tomorrow.  
  
*******************************************  
  
SAGA OF MERCURY CONTEST  
  
DO YOU HAVE A TITLE FOR ANDREW?   
  
SAILOR _________?   
  
OR ________ KNIGHT?   
  
OR A COMBINATION OF THE TWO?  
  
OR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT?  
  
SEND YOUR IDEAS TO THE AUTHOR OF THE SAGA   
  
OF MERCURY, AND YOU COULD HAVE A CAMEO IN   
  
A FUTURE CHAPTER!!  
  
VISIT THE SAGA OF MERCURY WEB SITE FOR MORE DETAILS  
  
http://jrhorse.keiichi.net/sagaofmercury  
  
*******************************************  
  
ATTENTION SAILOR MOON FANS  
  
Would you like to hear some of the best music from  
  
Sailor Moon? Then tune into the Internet's newest  
  
radio station dedicated to this benchmark Anime series.  
  
From the author of The Saga of Mercury, it's  
  
SILVER MILLENNIUM RADIO   
  
Silver Millennium Radio features only the best  
  
Sailor Moon music, from an extensive music playlist that  
  
rotates on a regular basis.  
  
It also features special programs such as the nightly Moonlight   
  
Evenings, and Starry Night Karaoke and Sailor of the Week  
  
shows every week.  
  
For more information and to view a programming calendar,   
  
visit our website:  
  
http://jrhorse.keiichi.net/smradio  
  
Or, launch Silver Millennium Radio now!!  
  
http://www.live365.com/stations/jrhorse2002 


	31. Examination of Love

*****  
  
DISCLAIMER  
  
As usual, "Sailor Moon" and all related characters  
  
are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, TOEI  
  
Animation and other agencies.  
  
The Saga of Mercury story is copyrighted by me, however  
  
content in some chapters is based on the Mercury  
  
Knight Stories as described in the Chapter 1 Introduction.  
  
******  
  
CORRECTION  
  
A reader with a sharp eye caught an error in the beginning  
  
of Chapter 15 of The Saga of Mercury. Mars Knight should have  
  
attacked with his FIRE BLADE, not with his LOVE BLADE.  
  
The corrected part of Chapter 15 should now read as follows:  
  
  
  
"Something's gone wrong with all of them..." started Artemis.  
  
"MARS FIRE BLADE CHARGE!" yelled Mars Knight.  
  
"LOOK OUT!" yelled Mercury Knight.  
  
Sailor Mercury and Mercury Knight jumped out of the way of   
  
Mars Knight's fire blade attack... just in time.  
  
  
  
Thanks to the fanfiction.net reader that pointed this out.  
  
Corrected versions to Chapter 15 will be made to the PDFs   
  
on the Saga of Mercury web site and, whenever possible,  
  
to the text versions that can be found on the other web sites.  
  
*******   
  
You can view released chapters in PDF format by visiting  
  
the official web site of this fanfic, at:  
  
http://jrhorse.keiichi.net/sagaofmercury  
  
Chapters are posted at the Sailor Moon newsgroup:  
  
news:alt.fan.sailor-moon  
  
Chapters are also posted at various Fan Fiction and  
  
Sailor Mercury-related web sites. Visit the Links page  
  
on the main Saga of Mercury web site for more information.  
  
******  
  
The Saga of Mercury  
  
Chapter 31  
  
Examination of Love  
  
Amy Mizuno was trying to make sure that   
  
her head was screwed on correctly.  
  
Here she was, at the Kimura School in   
  
Funabashi, for a placement exam.   
  
The Kimura School in Chiba is where   
  
liberal arts and medical students can   
  
take placement exams. In the case of Amy,   
  
it was the latter.  
  
It is recommended that young, aspiring   
  
doctors, such as Amy, take a medical   
  
placement exam in order to determine how   
  
long they would spend in medical school.   
  
Medical school has very stringent course   
  
requirements, of course, but some of   
  
those courses can be waived depending on   
  
how a student does on this exam. In   
  
simple terms, one that finishes high on   
  
the exam has the possibility to graduate   
  
from medical school one year earlier than   
  
others.  
  
It was an unusual situation for Amy,   
  
however, as she was preparing to take   
  
this test.  
  
For the first time in a while...  
  
She was nervous about taking this test.  
  
She's not normally this way.  
  
But too many things have happened in her   
  
life recently.  
  
In her life as a Sailor Scout... and as a   
  
person.  
  
She was influenced by the power of the   
  
Negaverse, and almost ended up killing   
  
Mercury Knight -- her only love -- before the   
  
love and spirit of the other scouts   
  
caught up to her.  
  
She loved Greg.  
  
She loved Sasha, her future daughter.  
  
She loved Serena and the rest of the   
  
Sailor Scout team for bringing her up   
  
from the turmoil that existed.  
  
She was engaged.  
  
The thought streaked across her mind   
  
often... including numerous times when she   
  
took the Sobu Rapid train to the   
  
Funabashi station.  
  
Mrs. Amy Urawa...  
  
Amy always smiled at that thought.  
  
"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen."  
  
Amy snapped out of that trance when   
  
hearing those words.  
  
"My name is Mr. Kawamura and I will be   
  
your exam administrator today. I will be   
  
administrating the Art, English, Math and   
  
Medical examinations. If you entered this   
  
room in error, please go out the door to   
  
the main reception desk at this time. The   
  
test will begin in ten minutes. Thank   
  
you."  
  
Amy took a deep breath... in... and out.  
  
The deep breath caught the attention of a   
  
young student at the adjacent desk.  
  
"Are you okay?" the girl asked Amy.  
  
"Um, yes.. well.." went Amy, "I think.. well   
  
I'm a bit nervous but I think I'll do   
  
fine, thanks."  
  
"That's great!" responded the girl. "By   
  
the way, I'm Lana Carney, and you are?"  
  
"Yes, I'm Amy. Amy Mizuno. Pleased to   
  
meet you."  
  
"Nice to meet you too!" responded Lana.  
  
"What examination are you taking in this   
  
room?" Amy asked.  
  
"The Art examination," said Lana. "I'd   
  
like to be a musician, or be a music   
  
teacher. I play the clarinet, and I'd   
  
like to help others get more interested   
  
in music. I think music can help people   
  
to be smart, if they'd only listen."  
  
"Oh yes," responded Amy, "I like to   
  
listen to music sometimes too, whenever I   
  
study. I like to listen to classical   
  
music... my boyfriend has exposed me to a   
  
couple of other genres but for the most   
  
part, classical music."  
  
"I see," said Lana.  
  
Lana looked down toward the floor.  
  
"The only thing is," she said, "I really   
  
don't like taking these tests. But my mom   
  
says they'll look good on my college   
  
application!"  
  
"Oh yes, this test will definitely have   
  
an impact," Amy responded. "I think that   
  
if you put your mind to it -- if you   
  
really believe that you have the   
  
knowledge and the will to teach someone   
  
about music -- I think you will do well,   
  
on this test, and in the future."  
  
Amy's comment brought a smile to Lana's   
  
face.  
  
"Time for the examination to begin," said   
  
Mr. Kawamura. "Good luck to everyone."  
  
Lana nodded to Amy and prepared to   
  
receive her test...  
  
That was ten minutes? thought Amy.  
  
Amy put her thoughts about Greg and the   
  
others aside for now... because this exam,   
  
she thought, could influence her future.   
  
And she had to nail it. (In other words,   
  
do well on the exam.)  
  
Meanwhile, in central Tokyo...  
  
When people want to shop in Tokyo, they   
  
go to some of the most lavish of venues...   
  
one of which is known as Ginza.  
  
You can find it all here... enough shops,   
  
streets, people and nighttime lights to   
  
make the unsuspecting tourist's head spin   
  
around several times.  
  
As Amy was taking her exam, Greg, Sasha,   
  
Jamie and Mina were together in the Ginza   
  
district.  
  
Greg was wearing a blue dress shirt with   
  
khahi pants. Jamie was also with Khaki   
  
pants, but with a yellow t-shirt. Sasha   
  
was in formal Japanese attire, wearing a   
  
colorful yukata that Mrs. Hattori had   
  
given to her during their trip to Kyoto.  
  
And Mina... well... besides the trademark bow   
  
in her long, blond hair...  
  
Mina was wearing a sexy pink drawstring   
  
dress.  
  
Jamie would be very pleased looking at   
  
Mina like that... at least, that's what   
  
Greg was thinking.  
  
"Why do you always have to wear something   
  
like that when we go shopping?" asked   
  
Jamie, with low, mean eyes and a vocal   
  
tone to match.  
  
"What's wrong with Mina?" asked Sasha.  
  
"Whenever I say the word 'shopping',"   
  
Jamie replied, "she goes bananas in her   
  
head. She dresses as if she's going to a   
  
ball. Of course, the first few times we   
  
did this, I'd always say 'wow' when I   
  
look at her. But... now..."  
  
"Now?" said Greg.  
  
"Now, it's... well... ordinary," Jamie   
  
responded.  
  
"Hmm... You find it ordinary that she   
  
stopped to look at that display window   
  
back there?" said Greg, pointing behind   
  
him.  
  
At a particular window display outside of   
  
one of Ginza's large department stores,   
  
Mina was looking at the large swimsuit   
  
collection that had just been put out.  
  
Small crowds of onlookers were gathering   
  
near where she was.  
  
Mina's attention was drawn to a shiny   
  
light blue two-piece that was in the   
  
center of the window.  
  
Jamie was walking back with Greg and   
  
Sasha to the display window.  
  
"Yep, Mina's one of those people that   
  
always wants attention," said Jamie.  
  
"You think she can get some more   
  
attention in that swimsuit?" Greg asked.  
  
Jamie smiled and nodded.  
  
"What do you mean?" Sasha asked Greg.  
  
"Well... um.." went Greg, "it.. the.. it has..   
  
those blue colors on it. It... kinda   
  
reminds me of someone's hair," he said,   
  
ruffling Sasha's blue hair with his hand.  
  
"That tickles!" Sasha said, smiling.  
  
Sasha then looked at the people gathering   
  
around the window.  
  
"There are a lot of people looking at   
  
that," she said.  
  
"Yeah," responded Greg. "I wonder how   
  
much something like that would cost?"  
  
"I would be worried about something   
  
else..." said Jamie. "I wonder how much   
  
Mina costs."  
  
"Huh?" went Greg.  
  
"Look a bit more carefully," said Jamie.  
  
Greg did... and noticed something peculiar.  
  
The onlookers weren't looking at the   
  
window.  
  
They were looking at Mina.  
  
Jamie, Greg and Sasha cautiously   
  
approached the group of people,   
  
overhearing things such as "You're so   
  
kawaii!", "You look familiar!" and   
  
"Aren't you that ballerina from the   
  
festival?"  
  
"I was very impressed with your dance   
  
performance from that competition," said   
  
one man in a business suit to Mina, who   
  
by the way showed no sign of being   
  
surprised by the sudden questioning.  
  
Mina, in a striking, upward pose, arms   
  
crossed in front of her, smiled as she   
  
said "Thank you very much! Do you really   
  
like it?"  
  
Jamie turned back to Greg and Sasha.  
  
"As I was saying..." he said.  
  
"We are in awe of you so much," said the   
  
man, "that we at the department store   
  
would like you to model our latest   
  
dresses while dancing!"  
  
Mina was NOW surprised, her eyes and   
  
mouth open wide, upon hearing the offer.  
  
Those gathered around her uttered in   
  
agreement... they apparently were all   
  
working for the department store that had   
  
the blue two-piece in the window.  
  
Jamie looked back at Greg and Sasha,   
  
"stunned" written all over his face.  
  
"A dancing... model?" said Greg.  
  
"I.. I.." went Mina.. "Uh... yes! Of course!"  
  
As Mina continued to talk to the man,   
  
Greg found his body frozen for a moment,   
  
as if he was in a deep trance.  
  
Sasha looked at Greg... and instantly knew   
  
what it could be.  
  
"Something is wrong!" cried Sasha. "It's   
  
the N..."  
  
Greg quickly covered Sasha's mouth.  
  
Jamie, Mina, and the crowd all looked at   
  
Sasha, her eyes huge, trying to spit out   
  
the word.  
  
Looking at Greg, Jamie silently mouthed   
  
the word "Negaverse."  
  
To which Greg nodded.  
  
"It's what?" asked Mina.  
  
"Uh, sorry!" said Greg, who crouched down   
  
to Sasha's ear and whispered "DON'T SAY   
  
IT!"  
  
"You must mean something is new," said   
  
the man in the suit. "Yes, indeed!" he   
  
said with a smile, pointing to Mina.   
  
"Miss Mina Aino is the newest model for   
  
the greatest department store in all of   
  
Japan!"  
  
The supporters applauded in response to   
  
the statement.  
  
Greg looked at Jamie hesitantly.  
  
Jamie looked at Greg... then broke through   
  
the crowd and put his arm around Mina.   
  
"Gentlemen," he said, "she is not worthy   
  
but we are honored that you have chosen   
  
her. If you don't mind, we will come into   
  
your store in two hours to discuss the   
  
finer details... the four of us have a   
  
lunch date, and we don't want to be   
  
late."  
  
"Well there are really no fine details,"   
  
said the man, "but if you insist, we will   
  
see you in two hours!"  
  
"Thank you very much," said Jamie.   
  
"Please excuse us."  
  
The four left the Ginza area and tried to   
  
find a quiet, isolated spot... among the   
  
throng of shoppers that were in the   
  
district.  
  
Meanwhile, Greg was on his cell phone   
  
trying to get in touch with Serena.  
  
"Waaah!" responded Serena on the phone.   
  
"Luna just waked me up from the bed! I   
  
just hate it when she does that! She has   
  
to claw into me and... HEY! WHAT ARE YOU   
  
DOING, YOU CRAZY CAT!! WHY I'LL...."  
  
"Greg? This is Luna speaking. It appears   
  
that the Negaverse is trying to collect   
  
more energy at a school east of Tokyo."  
  
"Yes, I know that," replied Greg. "I have   
  
a feeling that something located very   
  
close to the students is what's causing   
  
this problem."  
  
"Try to transform as soon as possible!"   
  
said Luna.  
  
"We will," replied Greg, flipping his   
  
phone closed.  
  
Greg was running faster... and searching   
  
faster... for a place to transform.  
  
"You're really in a hurry," said Sasha,   
  
who was straining to keep up with his   
  
future father's quick pace.  
  
"That's because your mother might be in   
  
trouble," he responded.  
  
"WHAT?!" went Sasha.  
  
"Hey Sasha," said a panting Jamie, "I   
  
think you know to trust Greg by now...   
  
GREG! Over this way!"  
  
The foursome darted into a small corridor   
  
that Jamie pointed out.  
  
It was a rather dark alley, out of the   
  
way from the busy street.  
  
The quartet stopped.  
  
Mina took out her transformation stick.  
  
Sasha held up her necklace.  
  
Jamie took out his cell phone.  
  
Greg took out his cell phone... and looked   
  
up.  
  
"Very tight between the buildings," he   
  
said. "We're going to have to get back   
  
onto the street before we can teleport   
  
out of here. OK. Are you guys..."  
  
Greg surprisingly found his mouth to be   
  
closed...  
  
He looked over...  
  
...to see that Sasha was covering HIS   
  
mouth, thanks to a lift from Mina.  
  
"FHWAA HISS HIT?" Greg mumbled through   
  
the hand.  
  
"YOU always tell us when it's time to   
  
transform... can't someone else do it for a   
  
change?" said a smiling Sasha, removing   
  
her hand from Greg's mouth.  
  
Greg sighed and smiled. "Ok, your turn,   
  
sweetie."  
  
Sasha beamed as Mina put her back on the   
  
ground.  
  
"LET'S DO IT!" yelled Sasha. "MERCURY   
  
PRISM POWER!"  
  
"MERCURY KNIGHT POWER!"  
  
"VENUS STAR POWER!"  
  
"VENUS KNIGHT POWER!"  
  
Fully transformed, the four sailor   
  
soldiers made their way out of the   
  
street, ready to find a clearing from   
  
which to conduct a teleport.  
  
"OH WOW!" yelled a girl in a school   
  
uniform from a close distance. "MERCURY   
  
KNIGHT!!! AAAAAAAH!!!"  
  
"VENUS KNIGHT! WHAT A HUNK! YAAAAAH!!!"   
  
went another girl.  
  
"SAILOR VENUS! MY IDOL!" said a young   
  
man.  
  
Before they knew it, a throng of young   
  
high school boys and girls began to   
  
charge like the bulls in Pamplona.  
  
Sailor Venus, Mercury Knight, Venus   
  
Knight looked at each other with that   
  
"What's going on?" expression.  
  
Mercury Knight put his shoulders on   
  
Sailor Mini Mercury... and yelled, "SAILOR   
  
TELEPORT!"  
  
As the throng of school kids came to   
  
where the Sailor Scouts stood, they were   
  
frozen to their spaces by a gust of wind.  
  
They looked to the front, and above...   
  
The scouts were gone.  
  
"WOW! I ACTUALLY SAW THE SAILOR SCOUTS!"   
  
said one man.  
  
"Yeah..." said his friend. "I wonder who   
  
they really are..."  
  
The quartet landed near the Kimura   
  
School, a dark cloud visible overhead.  
  
"That's a sure sign," said Venus Knight.  
  
They slowly and stealthily approached the   
  
front door. "Careful, guys," was the   
  
warning from Sailor Venus as they entered   
  
the building.  
  
Inside, Mercury Knight walked over to the   
  
reception desk. He was about to speak,   
  
when he saw the slumped, snoring body of   
  
the receptionist.  
  
"So much for that kind of help," he   
  
responded.  
  
As Mercury Knight was at the desk, Sailor   
  
Mini Mercury could hear a distinctive   
  
groaning sound down the main corridor.   
  
She turned her head to see that one of   
  
the male teachers was struggling to stay   
  
on his two feet.  
  
Sailor Mini Mercury led the others over   
  
to the teacher.  
  
"Are you all right?" asked Sailor Mini   
  
Mercury.  
  
The teacher was struggling... "Help... us...   
  
weak..."  
  
"You feel weak?" asked Sailor Venus.  
  
"I don't... know..... test..." he moaned.  
  
"What about the tests?" asked Venus   
  
Knight.  
  
"They're... glowing... everyone... asleep..."  
  
"Glowing tests?" said Mini Mercury.   
  
"Maybe the tests are draining everyone's   
  
energy?" she asked, turning to Mercury   
  
Knight.  
  
"Good thinking, Mini Mercury," he   
  
responded. "That's what I'd bet..."  
  
As Mercury Knight spoke, the teacher fell   
  
into unconsciousness.  
  
"Will he be all right if we leave him   
  
here?" Venus Knight asked.  
  
"He should be," said Mercury Knight.   
  
"Right now, we should see what's causing   
  
this mess..."  
  
"I'd stay away from those tests if you   
  
come across them," said Sailor Venus.  
  
Venus Knight looked down the corridor... at   
  
least from his view there were too many   
  
rooms to count.  
  
"Let's split up," he said. "Sasha, you   
  
and Greg go down the main corridor. I'll   
  
take the left turn at this corridor, and   
  
Mina will take the right turn."  
  
"Right!" responded the others.  
  
The four began to search around the   
  
building, looking to see exactly who was   
  
responsible for the energy drainage.  
  
For every room they came to, they saw   
  
many neatly dressed students sleeping on   
  
their desks, burying the examination   
  
papers under their heads. All of the   
  
examination papers were glowing in   
  
purple.  
  
In most of the rooms, one or two teachers   
  
were unconscious on the floor next to the   
  
podium.  
  
Sailor Mini Mercury and Mercury Knight   
  
came to a room which was labled   
  
"EXAMINATION: ART - ENGLISH - MATH -   
  
MEDICAL: RANK AA"  
  
"Rank AA... Medical... This is the room that   
  
Amy would be in," said Mercury Knight.  
  
The door was shut, unlike the other   
  
rooms.  
  
An intense purple glow could be seen   
  
through the opaque window.  
  
Mini Mercury and Mercury Knight looked at   
  
each other...  
  
And Mercury Knight turned the knob.  
  
The two stepped inside to the usual   
  
scenario found in the other classes.  
  
They looked around the classroom to see   
  
if there was any sign of Amy... there were   
  
too many people in the room that it was   
  
hard to tell.  
  
Mercury Knight saw a male proctor hanging   
  
over the podium, with a paper containing   
  
a list of names pressed between the   
  
podium and the proctor's chin.  
  
He studied the list carefully.  
  
It was an attendance roster.  
  
The roster contained the names of the   
  
people in the room, and where they were   
  
sitting.  
  
Mercury Knight studied the list.  
  
"Sasha!" he said. "Row 4, seat 3... that's   
  
where she's sitting."  
  
"Is this it?" she asked.  
  
Mercury Knight turned around to see   
  
Sailor Mini Mercury, who was pointing to   
  
an empty desk.  
  
In the fourth row.  
  
The third desk from the front.  
  
Mercury Knight walked over to the empty   
  
desk.  
  
"She's got to be somewhere..." he said.  
  
He tried to think of Amy's location using   
  
his special power, but his mind was   
  
turning up blank.  
  
Suddenly, something in white grabbed   
  
Mercury Knight's shoulders.  
  
Mercury Knight immediately went into   
  
defensive mode, instantly turning and   
  
throwing a direct punch...  
  
A punch that stopped millimeters short,   
  
when he realized that he was throwing a   
  
punch...  
  
...to a blue-haired sailor scout.  
  
"Amy!" yelled Mercury Knight.  
  
"Are you all right?" asked Sailor Mini   
  
Mercury.  
  
"I'm all right," said Sailor Mercury, "I   
  
got out of here in the nick of time... but   
  
hurry! We have to go to the roof... Sailor   
  
Venus is in trouble."  
  
The three left the room and headed for   
  
the staircase.  
  
"I had a funny feeling about those   
  
tests," said Sailor Mercury. "I just   
  
looked at it... I examined the questions on   
  
it for a while before I realized that the   
  
people around me were starting to feel   
  
faint."  
  
"Does touching the test paper put them in   
  
a spell?" asked Mercury Knight.  
  
"Apparently," she replied. "At one point   
  
they all turned purple, and nearly   
  
everyone got the ill effects."  
  
"Good thing it wasn't you that got hit,"   
  
said Mercury Knight.  
  
"VENUS!!" cried Mini Mercury.  
  
The trio was at the top of the staircase   
  
and on the roof... to see that a giant,   
  
yellow and black-striped monster was   
  
there, a tight grip around the frame of   
  
Sailor Venus.  
  
Nearby, Venus Knight lay groaning on the   
  
roof surface.  
  
The monstrous being looked to resemble a   
  
big, fat cat.  
  
Its feet were standing on purple-glowing   
  
examination papers.  
  
Mercury Knight drew his sword, and the   
  
two sailors next to him took defensive   
  
stances.  
  
"Here, kitty!" he yelled.  
  
The monster turned its head. "DON'T YOU   
  
MEOW AT ME!" he roared.  
  
"Who cares when you're responsible for   
  
taking the energy of people who have   
  
dreams?" said Sailor Mercury. "Everyone   
  
in this building wants to become a better   
  
person, but they can't if there's   
  
something like you around! We will defeat   
  
you in the name of love and justice! I am   
  
SAILOR MERCURY, defender of water and the   
  
soldier of knowledge!"  
  
"I am SAILOR MINI MERCURY, representing   
  
the future of the Silver Millennium!"  
  
"And the last time I checked, they called   
  
me MERCURY KNIGHT!"  
  
"AND DON'T YOU FORGET ABOUT US!" they   
  
yelled in unison.  
  
"In the name of the planet Mercury and of   
  
the Moon Kingdom, WE SHALL PUNISH YOU!"   
  
yelled Sailor Mini Mercury.  
  
"Great, Mini Mercury! Two points scored   
  
today," Mercury Knight said.  
  
"I AM CALLED GRUFF," responded the   
  
monster, "AND I WILL RUFF YOU UP!"  
  
Gruff? thought Mercury Knight. A monster   
  
who looks like a cat, and his name is   
  
Gruff?!?  
  
Gruff took his large finger and pointed   
  
it at Sailor Mercury.  
  
"IT IS YOU THAT THE NEGAVERSE WANTS TO   
  
EXTINGUISH... BUT I'D BE NICE TO MAKE YOU   
  
AN OFFER YOU CAN'T REFUSE," he said.  
  
"I make no deals with you!" said defiant   
  
Sailor Mercury.  
  
"MAKE IT EASIER FOR YOURSELF AND FOR YOUR   
  
VENUS FRIEND HERE!" Gruff said, revealing   
  
sharp, steel, dagger-like claws from the   
  
hand that was holding Sailor Venus. The   
  
sharp piercing nails were pinching Venus'   
  
delicate skin at the throat.  
  
"Sailor Venus!!" yelled Mini Mercury.  
  
"YES, SAILOR VENUS!" responded Gruff.   
  
"EITHER SAILOR MERCURY COMES WITH ME, OR   
  
SAILOR VENUS' BEAUTY IS RUINED AND   
  
REMOVED FOREVER!!"  
  
Sailor Mercury looked in shock at the   
  
nails that were close to moving into   
  
Sailor Venus' neck.  
  
"MAKE UP YOUR MIND! I DON'T HAVE ALL   
  
DAY!"  
  
Sailor Mercury didn't know what to do.   
  
She embraced Mercury Knight tightly.  
  
"M.. Mina..." she said to her knight with a   
  
horrified look.  
  
"FIRE SOUL!"  
  
At that cry, Gruff was gruffing in pain   
  
when his sharp claws melted into soup.  
  
Sailor Venus, released from the claws   
  
after that precision attack, fell down   
  
into the waiting arms of Venus Knight,   
  
who started to come back around.  
  
"YOU STAY AWAY FROM HER!" yelled a woman   
  
in a red fuku with long, black hair.  
  
"Huh?" said Gruff as he was trying to   
  
regain his composure.  
  
"Say hello to our friends," said Mercury   
  
Knight.  
  
Sailor Mars, and the rest of the sailor   
  
scouts, made their presence known on the   
  
roof.  
  
"If you want to attack her, then you'll   
  
have to get through all of us! I am the   
  
soldier of fire, SAILOR MARS!"  
  
"And I am her protector, MARS KNIGHT... and   
  
boy, is he fat."  
  
"I am the soldier of thunder and   
  
lightning, SAILOR JUPITER!"  
  
"And I'm JUPITER KNIGHT, her future   
  
husband!"  
  
"I am SAILOR NEPTUNE, the pure-hearted   
  
sailor, protected by the Planet Neptune!"  
  
"I am SAILOR URANUS, the flying warrior,   
  
protected by Planet Uranus!"  
  
"I am the pretty suited Sailor Solider of   
  
love and justice, SAILOR MOON!"  
  
"And I'm SAILOR MINI MOON! In the name of   
  
the moon, WE'LL PUNISH YOU!"  
  
"TUXEDO MASK is my name, and I ensure the   
  
support and friendship of all the sailor   
  
scouts, and of the entire moon kingdom!"  
  
"ARE YOU FINISHED ALREADY?" went Gruff,   
  
whose sharp nails had already regenerated   
  
in his hand. "TAKE THIS!" he said,   
  
beginning to lunge at the group of scouts   
  
that had just arrived at the scene.  
  
"WATCH OUT!" yelled Uranus, as they all   
  
fell to the floor.  
  
With Gruff having missed his mark, Sailor   
  
Jupiter found an opportunity.  
  
"SUPREME THUNDER!"  
  
Jupiter missed the target by inches.  
  
"JUPITER THUNDER BLADE, CHARGE!"  
  
Instantly, Jupiter Knight responded. His   
  
aim was toward Sailor Jupiter's thunder   
  
attack. The thunder deflected off of the   
  
blade's thunder beam, and went straight   
  
toward Gruff's chest.  
  
Gruff was shaking in pain as the high   
  
voltage of the attack jerked everything   
  
inside of him.  
  
The Jupiters smiled at each other.  
  
"That was a nice jolt," said Sailor   
  
Jupiter.  
  
"GRR! NOW YOU'VE MADE ME REALLY ANGRY!"   
  
went Gruff, who opened his mouth wide.  
  
"Aww, what's the matter, you want some   
  
cat food?" joked Mars Knight. "I'll run   
  
to the store to get you some..."  
  
But Mars Knight and the others found   
  
themselves in trouble when a strange   
  
spray was dusted over all of the scouts.  
  
"Ick! What is this stuff?" Sailor Moon   
  
wailed when the purple mist dusted her   
  
body.  
  
"Yuck! It's in my hair!" cried Sailor   
  
Mars.  
  
Before they could even move any further...  
  
Well, they couldn't.  
  
The purple mist instantaneously froze the   
  
movements of all of the sailor scouts.  
  
"I can't move my feet," said Sailor   
  
Neptune.  
  
"I can't more my arms," said Venus   
  
Knight.  
  
All of the scouts were stunned at their   
  
frozen state.  
  
"YOU CAN'T MOVE YOUR FEET, YOUR ARMS,   
  
NOTHING!" growled Gruff. "NOW I'LL JUST   
  
TAKE EACH OF YOU OUT ONE BY ONE, AND   
  
THAT'LL BE THE END OF EVERYTHING!"  
  
Sailor Jupiter clenched her teeth in   
  
hatred. "YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH THIS!!"   
  
she cried.  
  
"You just wait!" said Mini Mercury.   
  
"Something bad will happen to you once we   
  
get out of this mess!"  
  
"WELL, THAT'S JUST THE POINT, YOU CAN'T,   
  
CAN YOU??" Gruff went.  
  
"Actually," responded Mercury Knight, "my   
  
daughter is right. We can, and we will."  
  
"AND JUST EXACTLY HOW, WHEN YOU CAN'T   
  
REACH YOUR SWORD?"  
  
"Oh, it won't be me," he responded. "Say   
  
hi to my two friends."  
  
"WHAT?" went Gruff.  
  
"Good day," said a voice behind Gruff.  
  
Gruff turned around to see two figures...  
  
"VENUS LOVE LASER, CHARGE!"  
  
"DEATH REBORN REVOLUTION!"  
  
Gruff saw what appeared to be a long   
  
yellow light, surrounded by clusters of   
  
other yellow light, coming quickly toward   
  
him... too quick for him to react.  
  
The strong force of both attacks knocked   
  
him down to one knee.  
  
The gust of wind generated from the   
  
attacks shattered some of the purple   
  
substance that was covered on the other   
  
scouts, enabling all of them to break   
  
free.  
  
Sailor Uranus and Neptune stepped   
  
forward.  
  
"DEEP SUBMERGE!" cried Neptune.  
  
"WORLD SHAKING!" went Uranus.  
  
Gruff, flooded and shaken by both   
  
attacks, was now lying on the floor,   
  
struggling to regain his composure.  
  
As Gruff was on the floor, Sailor Mercury   
  
and Mercury Knight joined hands and   
  
activated their VR computers.  
  
Both of them attempted to find an aiming   
  
point for the final attack that would   
  
destroy Gruff.  
  
Sailor Moon had stepped forward with her   
  
spiral moon rod. "I don't like people... or   
  
things... that ruin my hair!" she cried.   
  
"Just tell me when, guys!"  
  
"Oh, you meatball head," replied Tuxedo   
  
Mask.  
  
The two from Mercury came to an   
  
agreement.  
  
"Sailor Moon," said Sailor Mercury,   
  
"Spiral Healing Activation toward his   
  
neck."  
  
"Gotc... whoa, healing?" asked Sailor Moon.  
  
"Correct," replied Mercury Knight.   
  
"Gruff's a human. We can't kill him."  
  
"Right," said Sailor Moon, stepping up to   
  
the prone monster and twirling her moon   
  
rod.  
  
"I cast the Negaverse out of this...   
  
thing!! MOON SPIRAL HEALING ACTIVATION!"  
  
Gruff wailed in pain, and the others   
  
noticed right away when Gruff began to   
  
change shape.  
  
From the fat cat-like monster look, Gruff   
  
shrunk down in size to a human being   
  
dressed in a business suit. A purple aura   
  
seemed to shoot out of his body.  
  
The Sailor Scouts were relieved, and then   
  
looked up at the two latecomers.  
  
Venus Knight walked over to the two of   
  
them while Sailor Mars and Mars Knight   
  
attended to what once was Gruff.  
  
Venus Knight saw a man and a short woman,   
  
the man wearing a uniform similar to his,   
  
and the woman wearing a purple and white   
  
fuku that matched up to her short black   
  
hair and her staff.  
  
"Mister Andrew," said Venus Knight, "and   
  
Miss Saturn."  
  
"Pleasure to see you. You can call me   
  
General Venus," the man said, shaking   
  
hands with Venus Knight.  
  
"General Venus, eh?" said Venus Knight   
  
with a smile.  
  
"He helped me out a.. lot..." said a weak   
  
Sailor Saturn, who dropped her staff and   
  
fainted into the hands of Venus Knight.  
  
"Saturn!" yelled Sailor Neptune and   
  
Sailor Uranus, who ran over to her side.  
  
Saturn was slightly alert, but too weak   
  
to be standing.  
  
General Venus laughed. "That attack of   
  
yours really drew a lot of energy," he   
  
said. "Good thing you were able to   
  
harness it."  
  
"It's a... special... attack," said Sailor   
  
Saturn, "I was surprised... it didn't   
  
cause... a lot of damage..."  
  
"A lot of damage?" said Venus Knight,   
  
helping Saturn back to her feet. "You   
  
just took this guy out in one blow!"  
  
"That's not what she means," said Sailor   
  
Uranus.  
  
"That attack is very powerful," said   
  
Sailor Neptune. "We know about that."  
  
"It can be.. more powerful.. but.. Andrew   
  
helped me to focus that energy so that it   
  
doesn't have to be so big..." replied   
  
Sailor Saturn.  
  
"I happened to bump into her and her   
  
father at the Crown Parlor this morning,"   
  
said General Venus. "We found a bit of   
  
time during my break to help her   
  
concentration out... and boy did it come in   
  
handy."  
  
Venus Knight looked at General Venus's   
  
rod-shaped gold sword.  
  
"That's an odd sword you've got," said   
  
Venus Knight.  
  
"It's my, I guess new, laser blade," said   
  
General Venus. "It comes in very useful,   
  
and I think it works well, especially   
  
combined with Saturn's concentrated   
  
attack."  
  
"Well, seems you two have a future then!"   
  
said Venus Knight. "Welcome, Andr... uh, I   
  
mean... General Venus."  
  
"And welcome back, Hotaru," said Sailor   
  
Neptune.  
  
The quintet turned around to see Sailor   
  
Mars and Mars Knight lead the suit-clad   
  
gentleman down the roof stairs.  
  
"Well, that should be it," said Mercury   
  
Knight. "Everyone should be waking up to   
  
resume their tests in just a bit... our   
  
work is done here."  
  
"Who was that guy that we just healed?"   
  
asked Venus Knight.  
  
"That was Mr. Kimura, the principal of   
  
the school," responded Sailor Venus. "We   
  
told him about what was going on."  
  
"Yeah, he was a bit spooked, but he'll be   
  
all right," said Sailor Jupiter.  
  
As the grown-up scouts debriefed each   
  
other, Sailor Mini Moon and Sailor Mini   
  
Mercury got together.  
  
"That was messy stuff," said Mini   
  
Mercury.  
  
"Well, my hair is all right, I think,"   
  
said Mini Moon.  
  
"You're hair is always pretty in pink,"   
  
said Mini Mercury.  
  
"Well you've got blue hair," said Mini   
  
Moon, "with yellow, and light blue, and...   
  
your hair is more special than mine! How   
  
did it get to be that way?"  
  
"From when we were young in Crystal   
  
Tokyo..." responded Mini Mercury, "before I   
  
was sent to the Earth of today, my   
  
parents of the future added color to my   
  
hair, so that my parents of today could   
  
tell who I was... I think..."  
  
"Uh... I think I get it..." said Mini Moon.   
  
"HOTARU!"  
  
Sailor Mini Moon ran over to embrace the   
  
approaching Sailor Saturn, who was now   
  
back on her two feet. Mini Mercury hugged   
  
her as well.  
  
"OK guys!" said Tuxedo Mask. "We should   
  
get out of here, or else in a few minutes   
  
the students will be wondering what we're   
  
doing in this place."  
  
The scouts agreed, and were ready to   
  
teleport theirselves off of the roof.  
  
Sailor Venus then touched her head. "I   
  
almost forgot, I have that lunch   
  
interview with the department store," she   
  
said with a smile. "The dancing model   
  
girl is ready to make her DEBUT!"  
  
Venus Knight stared at Sailor Venus with   
  
sweatdrops on his head.  
  
"What about Sailor Mars and Chad?" asked   
  
Jupiter Knight.  
  
"They're still tending to Mr. Kimura.   
  
They'll be all right," responded Tuxedo   
  
Mask.  
  
"Okay, let's go back!" said Sailor Mini   
  
Mercury.  
  
"Ready, guys?" said Sailor Mercury.  
  
"SAILOR TELEPORT!" cried the team.  
  
Instantaneously, the entire sailor scout   
  
team on the roof teleported into the sky,   
  
leaving colorful streaks of light in the   
  
sky...  
  
That is, except for Mercury Knight, who   
  
was holding down Sailor Mercury's   
  
shoulders with both of his hands.  
  
Sailor Mercury still found herself on the   
  
roof of the school facing Mercury Knight,   
  
feeling his strong hands.  
  
"AHEM," went Mercury Knight. "And where   
  
do you think you're going??"  
  
"I'm done here, so I'm going back to..."  
  
Sailor Mercury paused for a second, then   
  
laughed and smiled, her left hand on her   
  
head.  
  
"I'm going back to take the exam..."  
  
"Correct," responded Mercury Knight. "Are   
  
you still all right to take the exam?"  
  
"Yes, I'll be fine," responded Sailor   
  
Mercury. "Thanks for asking."  
  
"No problem," said a smiling Mercury   
  
Knight, who began to ruffle Sailor   
  
Mercury's short, blue hair with his right   
  
hand.  
  
With the dark cloud over the school now   
  
gone, Sailor Mercury's hair shined in the   
  
sunlight.  
  
"Oh, Greg..." said a blushing Sailor   
  
Mercury.  
  
Mercury Knight gently held her neck and   
  
brought her slightly closer to him.  
  
"You know," he said gently, "you have TWO   
  
big exams to take."  
  
"Two exams?" asked Sailor Mercury.  
  
"Yep. Two exams... This exam here, and an   
  
even bigger exam..."  
  
"Oh yes, the exam against Queen Sorinya,"   
  
responded Sailor Mercury, "I know what   
  
you're talking about. You always say it's   
  
coming, but it hasn't yet..."  
  
"It hasn't yet," said Mercury Knight,   
  
"but..."  
  
Mercury Knight stared into the blue eyes   
  
of his princess.  
  
"But what?" asked Sailor Mercury.  
  
"I have a feeling that it will be our   
  
next battle..." said Mercury Knight.  
  
"Oh, I see."  
  
"Yes, dear Amy," he said, continuing to   
  
stroke Sailor Mercury's hair. "And it   
  
could be... it... could be..."  
  
Mercury Knight paused again.  
  
He knew that what he was about to say   
  
might have a big impact on her...  
  
He thought to himself for a bit.  
  
"Could be what?" asked Sailor Mercury.  
  
"Oh Amy... it could be our last one   
  
together."  
  
Sailor Mercury pushed Mercury Knight off.  
  
"WHAT!" she said out loud.  
  
Mercury Knight slowly nodded his head.  
  
"What do you mean it could be our last   
  
one?" she said with a shocked expression,   
  
eyes wide open.  
  
Mercury Knight turned his head away   
  
slightly.  
  
"I'm not completely sure," he said, "but   
  
something tells me that I... may not make   
  
it through the final battle."  
  
Sailor Mercury approached again, and held   
  
Mercury Knight's hands tightly.  
  
"Greg... I can't believe you're saying   
  
that..."  
  
"Well, actually, I've... kinda had that   
  
thought for a while," he said.  
  
Sailor Mercury began to shed a tear. "And   
  
now... now, you tell me this?"  
  
"Forgive me," said Mercury Knight. "I'm   
  
not known to do this, but I   
  
procrastinated."  
  
Sailor Mercury shed another tear, and had   
  
a worried look on her face.  
  
"I should have told you straight out... but   
  
now that I have a feeling that this big   
  
battle may now be really coming upon us..."  
  
Sailor Mercury released her hands from   
  
the knight and covered her face.  
  
"I had to tell you right away, right   
  
now," he continued. "My psychic thoughts   
  
have been telling me that... I may be   
  
giving my life... for the sake of the Moon   
  
Kingdom."  
  
Sailor Mercury's head looked down, tears   
  
streaming down her face.  
  
"No..." she said. "No... please... I don't want   
  
to lose you..."  
  
"Are you kidding me? I want to see   
  
Sorinya's defeat too..." he responded. "But   
  
my thoughts leave doubts as to whether or   
  
not I will..."  
  
Sailor Mercury was still crying as she   
  
looked back up at him.  
  
"I love you, Greg..." she struggled to say.   
  
"I.. I don't.. I don't want you to die..."  
  
"Now Amy, you listen to me," said Mercury   
  
Knight. "Please... in case I don't make it...   
  
you have to take care of Sasha... you know   
  
that they sent her... I mean, WE sent her   
  
here for a purpose, to grow learning the   
  
ways of the sailor senshi. That's my   
  
request, if I don't make it through.   
  
Please do that for me."  
  
Sailor Mercury, still with tears, looked   
  
at Mercury Knight up and down.  
  
Sailor Mercury then wrapped her arms   
  
around Mercury Knight and brought her   
  
entire body up to his body... so much that   
  
her breasts were pressing against his   
  
chest.  
  
Mercury Knight's eyes went wide. "AMY?!   
  
WHAT ARE..."  
  
He quieted himself when Sailor Mercury   
  
brought her head very close to his.  
  
"Now you listen to me, Greg..." she said   
  
with determination. "My love will save   
  
you. I will not let you die. I want you   
  
to live out your life. You are a precious   
  
and unique human being. You are the   
  
future ruler of the planet Mercury. And   
  
most importantly... you are too precious   
  
for me, and the rest of the scouts... and   
  
your daughter... to lose."  
  
Mercury Knight's head had just become   
  
scrambled eggs.  
  
"Amy..." he said, "I'm.. uh.. I don't know...   
  
but..."  
  
"But nothing," she interrupted, smiling.   
  
"Greg, your special gift is what makes   
  
you very unique... but at a time like this,   
  
I have to challenge it.. I love you.. Greg...   
  
I... I love you too much!"  
  
  
  
Without hesitation, Sailor Mercury   
  
started to deeply kiss Mercury Knight.  
  
Mercury Knight was a bit hesitant   
  
initially, but instantly gave way to the   
  
sensation of Sailor Mercury's lips.  
  
The passionate kiss lasted about one   
  
minute.  
  
The two then pulled their heads away,   
  
breathing heavily... stared at each other...   
  
and embraced again.  
  
Now, Mercury Knight's thoughts were not   
  
of his undoing...  
  
His thoughts were about Amy, as well as   
  
everyone else...  
  
Sailor Mercury stepped back, and de-  
  
transformed back into Amy Mizuno.  
  
Mercury Knight smiled. "Time to take that   
  
first exam?"  
  
"Time to take that first exam," replied   
  
Amy.  
  
Amy walked back to Mercury Knight and   
  
gave him two quick kisses before walking   
  
back to the stairwell and down the   
  
stairs.  
  
Mercury Knight looked at Amy as she   
  
walked to the stairwell door.  
  
Amy turned around one more time to wave   
  
goodbye.  
  
"Be strong, Greg," she said with a smile,   
  
before turning and heading down the   
  
stairs.  
  
Mercury Knight smiled.  
  
He looked up at the sky.  
  
Amy's love will save me, he said to   
  
himself.  
  
He still had confusing thoughts in his   
  
head, one of which was still saying that   
  
his chances of surviving the battle with   
  
Queen Sorinya are not so good.  
  
But he had another thought in his head.  
  
"Amy..." he said, as he looked back at the   
  
stairwell.  
  
He took a deep breath.  
  
"I hope so, Amy..." he said.  
  
He looked back up at the sky.  
  
"I hope so."  
  
Mercury Knight took another deep breath.  
  
"MERCURY TELEPORT!"  
  
The final fight begins... FOR REAL... in Chapter 32  
  
of The Saga of Mercury.  
  
ATTENTION SAILOR MOON FANS  
  
Would you like to hear some of the best music from  
  
Sailor Moon? Then tune into the Internet's newest  
  
radio station dedicated to this benchmark Anime series.  
  
From the author of The Saga of Mercury, it's  
  
SILVER MILLENNIUM RADIO   
  
Silver Millennium Radio features only the best  
  
Sailor Moon music, from an extensive music playlist that  
  
rotates on a regular basis.  
  
It also features special weekly programs such as Moonlight   
  
Evenings, and Starry Night Karaoke and Sailor of the Week  
  
For more information and to view a programming calendar,   
  
visit our website:  
  
http://jrhorse.keiichi.net/smradio  
  
Or, launch Silver Millennium Radio now!!  
  
http://www.live365.com/stations/jrhorse2002 


	32. Timing

******  
  
DISCLAIMER  
  
As usual, "Sailor Moon" and all related characters  
  
are copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha, TOEI  
  
Animation and other agencies.  
  
The Saga of Mercury story is copyrighted by me, however  
  
content in some chapters is based on the Mercury  
  
Knight Stories as described in the Chapter 1 Introduction.  
  
******  
  
You can view released chapters in PDF format by visiting  
  
the official web site of this fanfic, at:  
  
http://jrhorse.keiichi.net/sagaofmercury  
  
Chapters are posted at the Sailor Moon newsgroup:  
  
news:alt.fan.sailor-moon  
  
Chapters are also posted at various Fan Fiction and  
  
Sailor Mercury-related web sites. Visit the Links page  
  
on the main Saga of Mercury web site for more information.  
  
******  
  
Chapter 32 - Timing  
  
It was an evil morning at the Negaverse   
  
chambers of Queen Sorinya.  
  
One of Sorinya's servants walked through   
  
the corridor and up to Sorinya's door.  
  
Behind the servant came a small   
  
procession of soldiers in their battle   
  
uniforms.  
  
The servant knocked on the entrance.  
  
"Your majesty, it is I, Dorbola, loyal   
  
servant of the Negaverse, with the   
  
soldiers that you requested! May we come   
  
inside?"  
  
There was no response at first.  
  
Dorbola looked puzzled. "This is very   
  
unusual of her," she said to the   
  
soldiers. "I am one of her most loyal   
  
servants... I don't understand why she's   
  
taking so long... She normally opens the   
  
door for me right away..."  
  
Just then, Dorbola heard the door open.  
  
"Ah, yes," said Dorbola, "Your majesty,   
  
as you requested, here are your sold...   
  
YAAAAAAHH!!"  
  
Dorbola shrieked in shock when she saw   
  
Queen Sorinya at the door.  
  
Sorinya was soaking wet, her body wrapped   
  
in a red towel.  
  
Sorinya was laughing. "Oh, Dorbola, don't   
  
worry about myself... I wanted to just   
  
clean myself up, that's all..."  
  
"C... Cl... C... Clean... CLEAN   
  
YOURSELF?" went Dorbola. "Your majesty,   
  
you... you haven't taken a bath in   
  
ages!!"  
  
"I know, I know... But I have my..."  
  
Sorinya turned to the soldiers.  
  
"WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU LOOKING AT?"   
  
screamed Sorinya.  
  
The soldiers snapped out of their trance   
  
from looking at Sorinya in a towel and   
  
stood at full attention.  
  
"Anyway, I have my reasons," Sorinya   
  
continued. "After all, tonight is the   
  
night that I will do what I've been   
  
wanting to do for such a long time..."  
  
Dorbola nodded. "Well I know you're not   
  
going out on a date... but I think this   
  
date will be something for you to   
  
remember..."  
  
"Yes," replied Sorinya. "I think you've   
  
guessed it already..."  
  
Sorinya looked up to the evil skies.  
  
"Tonight... I will unleash my ULTIMATE   
  
ATTACK! I SHALL KILL AMY MIZUNO!!!"  
  
Meanwhile, in the Ginza section of   
  
Tokyo...  
  
Greg, Amy, Sasha, Serena, Rini, Raye,   
  
Lita and Jamie were the first in a   
  
moderately long line of people at the   
  
entrance to the department store.  
  
"I don't understand why we have to be   
  
here so early," said Greg. "The store   
  
opens at 10 AM, and they'll have several   
  
small shows throughout the day."  
  
"Oh," Amy said, looking at Greg. "You   
  
don't know your future daughter, do you?"  
  
Greg had a quizzed look.  
  
"You don't know me, either!" said Rini,   
  
hands on hips.  
  
"I think it's because we don't take as   
  
many trips to the department store as the   
  
girls do," said Jamie.  
  
"You'll like what happens when the store   
  
opens," Sasha said.  
  
"What happens when the store opens?"   
  
asked Greg. "They unlock the doors and   
  
you go in, right?"  
  
"Not HERE!" said Rini.  
  
"You'll see," said Raye.  
  
"Why couldn't I be chosen as the   
  
model?!?!" went Serena.  
  
Everyone had sweatdrops on their heads.  
  
Lita patted Serena's back. "Because we   
  
love ya, that's why!"  
  
Serena glanced over at Lita. "Gee...   
  
that's reassuring."  
  
"ANYWAY," continued Raye, "Greg, Amy   
  
claims that you have your watch   
  
synchronized to the correct time. Is that   
  
true?"  
  
"Last time I checked," Greg replied,   
  
looking at his watch. "It's ten seconds   
  
to ten o'clock..."  
  
"Good, now count the seconds down, and   
  
take a look at what happens," Raye said.  
  
Greg looked at the watch.  
  
"5... 4... 3... 2... 1... zero..."  
  
At the moment that Greg said zero, two   
  
neatly dressed department store women   
  
walked up to the main entrance, bowed   
  
with a smile, and proceeded to unlock and   
  
open the doors.   
  
The sailor scouts that were present   
  
proceeded to walk through the main   
  
entrance.   
  
Upon Greg's amazement, a long line of   
  
department store workers was formed   
  
beyond the entrance, bowing to him and   
  
the other first visitors of the day.  
  
"Attention, shoppers!" said one woman in   
  
a loud voice. "Come enjoy our new   
  
modeling show featuring our swimwear   
  
collection! Our first show starts in 15   
  
minutes at the central plaza!"  
  
"That's all we needed to hear, I think,"   
  
Jamie said as he led the scouts to the   
  
central plaza. "Mina Aino, here we come!"  
  
At the Negaverse...  
  
Queen Sorinya, now fully dressed,   
  
beckoned for Dorbola and the Negaverse   
  
soldiers to enter her chambers.  
  
"Thank you for waiting," said Sorinya.   
  
"As I told you before, this is the   
  
special day for me, for you, and for the   
  
Negaverse, as we eradicate one of our   
  
enemies... the one that is called Amy   
  
Mizuno... Sailor Mercury."  
  
"Yes," responded the bowing soldiers in   
  
unison.  
  
"This is the battle in which I will use   
  
the ultimate weapon... I, your queen,   
  
shall use the power of the fluorescent   
  
crystal."  
  
Dorbola and the soldiers gasped.  
  
"Your majesty!" protested Dorbola. "The   
  
fluorescent crystal? Do you know how   
  
important that is? If something goes   
  
wrong, the crystal might fail, and then   
  
you will die!"  
  
"I know the risks," replied Sorinya. "But   
  
trust me, this is one battle that you   
  
will not surely forget... now, soldiers!   
  
Protect these chambers at all costs while   
  
I execute the plan to bring an end to Amy   
  
Mizuno!"  
  
In the department store...  
  
In the central plaza, Jamie and the   
  
others were waiting for the fashion show   
  
to begin... and for Mina's ballet   
  
recital... wearing a two-piece swimsuit.  
  
Shortly before it was scheduled to start,   
  
Greg was able to spot and flag down a man   
  
dressed in a business suit.  
  
It was the same businessman that hired   
  
Mina outside of the store the other   
  
day... the day that the Negaverse   
  
attacked a school.  
  
"I think you have a nice plan for Mina,"   
  
said Greg. "She's totally qualified for   
  
the job, but I'm kinda interested in   
  
finding out how you see her in a   
  
swimsuit... and in ballet shoes."  
  
"Well, sir," replied the man, "in our   
  
department store we take pride in the   
  
maximum exposure of our products, while   
  
at the same time helping people out as   
  
much as they can to realize their dreams.   
  
Doesn't Miss Aino possess a dream?"  
  
"Of course she does," replied Greg. "She   
  
loves ballet, she loves modeling, and I   
  
think she still likes volleyball."  
  
"There, I think by now you must see my   
  
point," said the man. "Trust me, we have   
  
good intentions. My wish is for my   
  
customers and employees to be as   
  
successful in life as they possibly can.   
  
I feel especially that way for your   
  
friend, Miss Aino."  
  
Greg smiled. "You're a wonderful man. I   
  
can tell that you're not working in this   
  
job just to make some money. I think your   
  
workers should be proud to know a man   
  
such as yourself. By the way, my name is   
  
Greg Urawa. Pleased to meet you."  
  
The man returned Greg's bow and took out   
  
a business card. "Pleased to meet you,   
  
too! I am Kenji Oyama, president of the   
  
Oyama Department Store... we help dreams   
  
and wishes come true!"  
  
Greg bowed as he accepted and read the   
  
card.  
  
He noticed the large print at the bottom   
  
of the card: "WE HELP DREAMS AND WISHES   
  
COME TRUE!"  
  
"Do you have any dreams or wishes, Mr.   
  
Urawa?" asked Mr. Oyama.  
  
Greg smiled. "Do I? Well..."  
  
Greg looked around for a moment... and   
  
fixed his gaze on his friends.  
  
"I wish..."  
  
Greg's eyes singled out Amy.  
  
"Amy... I wish that Amy..."  
  
Suddenly, Greg's eyes went still.  
  
"Amy? Is that one of your friends?" asked   
  
Mr. Oyama.  
  
"Um..." Greg struggled. "Y... yeah...   
  
she's my girlfriend... well... to be...   
  
specific... my fiancé..."  
  
"Oh, so you'll get married!" said Mr.   
  
Oyama. "What is it that you wish for Mrs.   
  
Urawa?"  
  
As Greg heard Mr. Oyama finish the   
  
question, the only thing that he could   
  
see out of his eyes is Amy...   
  
Why was she dressed as Sailor Mercury?  
  
Is Sailor Mercury crying?  
  
Yes she is... tears...  
  
Why is she crying her eyes out? That's   
  
rare...  
  
Greg looked down on his body...   
  
He was in his Mercury Knight uniform...   
  
Which was covered in blood.  
  
He put his hands on his chest and   
  
wiped...  
  
Is this real?  
  
Greg looked at his hands...  
  
His hands... and the business card that   
  
he was holding... were all soaked in red.  
  
Greg held his head...  
  
"Well, Mr. Urawa, if you won't give me an   
  
answer, then..."  
  
Greg snapped out of it.  
  
He looked at his hands... they were   
  
clean.  
  
The business card looked the same.  
  
He looked at his body... nothing except   
  
his regular clothes.  
  
He looked at Amy...   
  
Amy was beginning to walk toward him with   
  
a worried expression on her face.  
  
Greg turned around.  
  
"It's coming..."  
  
"What's coming?" asked Mr. Oyama.  
  
"Um... My... My fiancé! Yes, she's   
  
coming! Sorry abot that delay, Mr.   
  
Oyama... but my... my wish is... for...   
  
the two of us to live happily ever   
  
after."  
  
"Well said, Mr. Urawa! Remember, if you   
  
put your mind to it, you can accomplish   
  
anything! Heed those words well, and you   
  
and Amy will live a happy life."  
  
Greg bowed. "Thank you for your   
  
encouraging words, and I hope you'll like   
  
how Mina performs today."  
  
"Excuse me," said the approaching Amy,   
  
pulling gently on Greg's arm.  
  
"Hope to see you soon!" said Mr. Oyama.  
  
"And you too, sir," said Greg as he   
  
departed with Amy.  
  
Greg finished his conversation, and   
  
walked back with Amy... with troubled   
  
thoughts starting to fill his head.  
  
He looked down at his future bride... she   
  
was giggling.  
  
How could she be laughing at a time like   
  
this, Greg said to himself.  
  
"Greg..." started Amy, "for the n-th   
  
time, could you pleeease stop asking   
  
about Mina dancing in a swimsuit?"  
  
"Well, can you blame someone for being   
  
curious?" said Greg.  
  
Greg and Amy reached the others.  
  
"Back at it again, huh," went Jamie,   
  
"asking about what's so special about   
  
ballet and the beach??"  
  
"I guess... that's just an interesting   
  
combination... that's all..." replied   
  
Greg.  
  
Greg had a funny look on his face.  
  
Serena noticed Greg's reaction. She had a   
  
sly smile... and slithered her way over   
  
to Greg.  
  
"What an investigation we have here..."   
  
went Serena. "It seems that you have a   
  
knack for watching swimsuits and watching   
  
ballet dancing... AM I RIGHT... GREG??"  
  
Serena grabbed Greg's shirt collar.  
  
"Uh... uh..." Greg went, sweatdrop on his   
  
head.  
  
Raye stepped up to Serena... her fist   
  
pulsating...  
  
BOING!  
  
"Owie!" went Serena, reacting to the bop   
  
on her head.  
  
"Will you leave him alone?" said Raye.   
  
"We can't be judging Greg that way... we   
  
all have the right to think different   
  
thoughts. Greg's curiosity and thoughts   
  
about ballet and swimwear come from   
  
choice. We have to respect his thoughts,   
  
and the thoughts of others."  
  
"I think you stink," said Serena.  
  
"There, you see?" said Raye. "That's your   
  
thought and so we all have to respect   
  
that! See how easy that is?"  
  
Lita, Rini and Amy's eyes went wide open.  
  
Jamie quickly tapped Greg's shoulder...  
  
"Let me see your watch, Greg," said   
  
Jamie.  
  
Greg held up his left arm so Jamie could   
  
have a look.  
  
"There we go..."  
  
Jamie looked at Raye and Serena, and then   
  
looked at Greg's watch.  
  
"3... 2... 1..."  
  
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN I STINK? YOU STINK MORE   
  
THAN I DO!" roared an evil Raye, pulling   
  
at one of Serena's hair buns.  
  
Serena and Raye, now full of hate, glared   
  
at each other.  
  
"Here comes the raspberry," said Greg.  
  
NYAH-NYAH-NYAH-NYAH! That was the   
  
repeating sound that started to come out   
  
of Serena and Raye, their cheeks puffed   
  
out, and their tongues sticking out and   
  
wiggling up and down.  
  
"Good timing, eh?" went Jamie.  
  
As Greg smiled in response, he felt a tug   
  
on his Khaki pants.  
  
He turned to his right... to see the   
  
sparkling eyes and beaming smile of   
  
Sasha.  
  
Greg crouched down and responded with a   
  
pleasant "Yeeeeess?"  
  
"I was taught ballet by Princess Mina,   
  
and ballroom dancing by my mother. I can   
  
show you one day, if you want!"  
  
Greg laughed. "Princess Mina... Your   
  
mother? Amy? Are you serious?"  
  
Sasha nodded her head. "Not only is my   
  
mother smart, but my mother is an   
  
excellent dancer. My mother was second   
  
only to Princess Mina as the best dancer   
  
in the Silver Millennium."  
  
Greg's wide eyes slowly turned to Amy.  
  
Jamie's mouth was open, too.  
  
Raye and Serena stopped their fighting to   
  
look.  
  
Lita and Rini still felt like they had   
  
nothing to say at the moment.  
  
All of the group's eyes were on... Amy   
  
Mizuno.  
  
Amy's mouth was flat, wincing in one   
  
corner. Her eyes were opened in surprise   
  
and shock. A small amount of red came out   
  
of her cheeks. And a large sweatdrop   
  
appeared.  
  
"I... I... I..." went Amy... "I was a...   
  
dancer?!?!"  
  
Greg stood up.  
  
"Well, I'm certainly impressed," he said.  
  
Amy was still in disbelief. "Uh... I   
  
haven't had... well... aside from the   
  
basic box-step dancing that my father   
  
taught me, I've never had any other   
  
dancing lessons in my life..."  
  
Lita smiled and sighed.  
  
"Well then, I guess you'll have to   
  
realize the truth... It'll all come back   
  
to you naturally, just like Sasha and her   
  
swimming..."  
  
Greg nodded his head to the   
  
possibility... and fact, according to   
  
Sasha... that Amy was more talented than   
  
he thought.  
  
Then it came to him. One part of his mind   
  
turned the clock back to the recent   
  
past...  
  
Of course!  
  
"Amy... we've seen it already... Kyoto...   
  
remember?" said Greg.  
  
He was making the point that Amy knew   
  
some intricate dances, which was shown   
  
when she did the geisha dance in Kyoto   
  
while fighting a Negaverse monster.  
  
Even so, however, the other part of him   
  
was still thinking... about the vision   
  
from a few minutes ago...  
  
It did not leave his head...  
  
The thought of tears and blood...  
  
Until his deducing... and his psychic   
  
abilities... determined what was going to   
  
happen.  
  
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" said Mr. Oyama on   
  
the stage. "WELCOME TO THE OYAMA   
  
DEPARTMENT STORE SUMMER FASHION SHOW!"  
  
Greg shook his head and looked around as   
  
his friends, and the others gathered,   
  
clapped away.  
  
"We welcome our first model, showcasing a   
  
gorgeous two piece swimsuit for your   
  
favorite summer days at the beaches on   
  
Tokyo Bay... what sheer elegance you will   
  
notice in this nice swimming piece,   
  
modeled by our newest model, and Oyama   
  
Department Store's newest ballerina, Miss   
  
Aino!"  
  
The Sailor Scout team was clapping and   
  
cheering as Mina made her way onto the   
  
stage.  
  
Greg, on the other hand, was... sort of   
  
clapping.  
  
Mina, donned in the shiny, light blue two   
  
piece, with light blue ballet shoes to   
  
match, started taking classical ballet   
  
poses on her toes.  
  
The media representatives in the first   
  
few rows put their cameras to work right   
  
away, as the flashes began to shine   
  
around the plaza, and reflect radiantly   
  
off of Mina's swimsuit.  
  
Oohs and aahs were coming out of the   
  
crowd that was gathered to watch Mina.  
  
Mina's friends were cheering the loudest.  
  
"GO MINA!" went Jamie.  
  
"YOU'RE THE GREATEST!" yelled Rini.  
  
"YOU'RE DOING FINE!" said Serena.  
  
Greg was clapping along now...  
  
"ALL RIGHT MINA!" he said. "YOU ARE...   
  
AAAAGH!"  
  
Greg fell onto a knee as he felt a sharp   
  
pain hit the right side of his head.  
  
Amy, Sasha and Jamie noticed right away.  
  
"GREG... are you all right?" asked Amy.  
  
"Are you OK?" asked Sasha.  
  
Jamie helped Greg up on his feet again.  
  
Greg could see red again... he knew that   
  
something was wrong... he knew the   
  
situation... and he had to discreetly   
  
excuse himself to collect his thoughts.  
  
Mina was performing beautifully. Greg was   
  
impressed without a doubt. But a   
  
thought... some thought... was taking   
  
over his brain.  
  
"I'll be right back," said Greg. "I need   
  
a bit of fresh air. Please excuse me."  
  
"Sure thing," said Raye.  
  
Greg waked away from his friends   
  
unassisted, and found a support pillar   
  
near the back of the plaza on which to   
  
lie on.  
  
Greg took a few deep breaths.   
  
The pain in his head was still there.  
  
Suddenly, after a moment, he felt a   
  
small, cool sensation on his right cheek.  
  
The coolness came from someone's lips...  
  
Familiar lips...  
  
"Are you ok, Greg? Is something wrong?"   
  
asked a worried Amy, embracing Greg's   
  
shoulders.  
  
Greg looked into Amy's troubled eyes.  
  
"Amy... how can I put this to you..."  
  
"Oh Greg... is it Mina? You talked all   
  
about Mina, and ballet, and swimming   
  
suits, and now you don't care the least   
  
bit??"  
  
"Oh no, Amy, I think Mina's doing   
  
fine..."  
  
"Greg, if it's not that, then..."  
  
Amy stopped.  
  
Her eyes went wide.  
  
"No... Greg..."  
  
Greg started to nod his head.  
  
"The attack?" asked Amy.  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Queen... Queen Sorinya?"  
  
Greg nodded again. "It starts tomorrow."  
  
Amy gasped. "Tomorrow??" she said.  
  
"Tomorrow? What happens tomorrow?" said   
  
another female voice.  
  
Amy and Greg turned their heads.  
  
"Lita?" said Amy.  
  
"Something smells fishy around here,"   
  
said Lita. "You know me, I just have a   
  
knack of telling when something is   
  
fishy... and you, Greg, are making me   
  
feel just like that right now. You make   
  
me feel as if something's fishy."  
  
Amy looked at Greg, then back at Lita.  
  
"Yes, something's come up," said Amy.  
  
"Lita, do me a fav... YAHH!" went Greg,   
  
wincing again from the pains in his head.  
  
Amy continued to hold Greg and leaned on   
  
his body.  
  
"Lita..." Greg said. "As soon as Mina's   
  
done with the performance, we're all   
  
taking the train to Amy's house. And   
  
round up the rest of the troops, too...   
  
we'll have some time to set up a plan..."  
  
"Everyone... this... is... bad... Isn't   
  
it?" went Lita.  
  
Greg huffed.  
  
"I'm going to show you how bad this is,"   
  
said Greg, taking his cell phone out of   
  
its holster.  
  
He looked at his blue cell phone...  
  
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!  
  
The digital display on the cellular phone   
  
read: EMRG  
  
"That would be either Luna or Artemis   
  
calling... uh..."  
  
Greg was still in pain as he attempted to   
  
answer the phone.  
  
"I'll take that call," said Amy.  
  
As Amy spoke to Luna on the phone, Greg   
  
and Lita were looking back towards the   
  
front of the stage, as Mina was wrapping   
  
up her modeling "performance."  
  
The performance came to a conclusion with   
  
Mr. Oyama delivering the final comments:  
  
"Miss Aino plays volleyball in her spare   
  
time, and as you can see, is one of the   
  
best ballerinas in all of Japan. We hope   
  
that when you purchase this swimsuit, or   
  
anything else from the Oyama Department   
  
Store, that you will be filled with   
  
happiness and be as lucky as Miss Aino...   
  
because at Oyama Department Store..."  
  
As Mr. Oyama finished, Mina completed her   
  
routine by sliding her legs into a split,   
  
with a strong, cheerful response from the   
  
crowd.  
  
Mina, with her shiny blonde hair and red   
  
bow, wearing the shiny two piece   
  
swimsuit, her legs stradded in a split   
  
pose, and her ballet toes pointed with   
  
poise and perfection, turned to the crowd   
  
with a beaming smile. Her left hand was   
  
on her left hip, and she held up two   
  
fingers on her right hand to form a   
  
familiar-looking "V" shape.  
  
Finally, Mina spoke to complete Mr.   
  
Oyama's sentence.  
  
"WE HELP DREAMS AND WISHES COME TRUE!"   
  
she said.  
  
Everyone in the plaza cheered and   
  
applauded Mina on her modeling and   
  
dancing.  
  
In the back, Lita was clapping   
  
frantically, while Amy and Greg smiled,   
  
holding on to each other.  
  
"That's one of the traditional Sailor V   
  
poses," said Greg.  
  
"She is very impressive," responded Amy.   
  
"I never knew that I would be like her...   
  
a great dancer... not a ballerina, but a   
  
dancer..."  
  
Greg looked at Mina, who stood up and   
  
took a bow, to the cheers of the crowd.  
  
At Oyama Department Store, we help dreams   
  
and wishes come true...  
  
The store's slogan was going around in   
  
Greg's head... the part of the head that   
  
didn't hurt.  
  
He then recalled what he said to Mr.   
  
Oyama just minutes earlier...  
  
My wish is... for... the two of us to   
  
live happily ever after.  
  
Greg's eyes were filled with   
  
determination.  
  
Mr. Oyama, he said to himself, you are an   
  
honorable man. I'm going to heed your   
  
words.  
  
Greg took a deep breath.  
  
Mr. Oyama... let's hope you're right.  
  
Two hours later...  
  
THIS IS A NAMBOKU LINE TRAIN BOUND FOR   
  
MEGURO... THE NEXT STOP IS ROPPONGI-  
  
ITCHOME...  
  
After witnessing a wonderful performance   
  
at the department store, it was a rather   
  
somber time as Greg, Amy, Sasha, Serena,   
  
Rini, Raye, Lita, Mina and Jamie headed   
  
toward the Mizuno residence on the   
  
Namboku subway line.  
  
They never spoke a word once they boarded   
  
the subway train at Ginza. Everyone was   
  
thinking about the big moment. The moment   
  
that they would have to face Queen   
  
Sorinya... and, at least for the girls,   
  
the threat of facing the brute strength   
  
of the Negaverse yet again.  
  
Tomorrow.  
  
They still didn't speak to each other at   
  
Tameike-Sanno, where they switched over   
  
to the Namboku subway.  
  
Mina was sitting next to Amy and Jamie on   
  
the train. She was now in her street   
  
clothes.  
  
It was Mina that broke the silence.  
  
"Don't worry, Amy," she said, putting her   
  
hand on Amy's shoulder.  
  
A gloomy Amy looked up to Mina. "Thank   
  
you," Amy replied.  
  
THIS IS ROPPONGI-ITCHOME... THE NEXT STOP   
  
IS AZABU-JUBAN...  
  
Greg looked up after hearing the   
  
automated announcement.  
  
"Guys, here comes our stop, up next," he   
  
said.  
  
But there was a problem... the train was   
  
still at Roppongi-Itchome station... and   
  
it wasn't moving.  
  
Two minutes went by. "We are experiencing   
  
some delays," went the conductor over the   
  
speaker. "We humbly apologize for the   
  
inconvenience."  
  
Greg stood up and stuck his head out of   
  
the doorway.  
  
"What's holding us up?" asked Jamie.  
  
Soon the conductor came back on the   
  
speaker. "Ladies and Gentlemen, there   
  
appears to be a fire marshall's   
  
investigation above Azabu-Juban station.   
  
Because of this, all trains are skipping   
  
Azabu-Juban. The next stop will be   
  
Shirokane-Takanawa."  
  
"Fire marshall's investigation?" asked   
  
Sasha.  
  
"What's wrong?" said Raye. "Is someone's   
  
house on fire or something?"  
  
Greg stuck his head out again.  
  
His eyes went wide open.  
  
Without a moment's notice, he darted out   
  
of the train and toward the exit.  
  
His friends in the train all stood up.  
  
"Greg!" yelled Amy. "Where are you   
  
going?"  
  
"To your house," Greg said, stopping and   
  
turning around.  
  
"My house is at the next stop," said Amy.  
  
"But it's YOUR house that's on fire,"   
  
replied Greg.  
  
Amy's eyes went wide.  
  
The sailor team all darted out of the   
  
subway car and followed Greg.  
  
Up the escalator...  
  
Through the turnstiles...  
  
And through the long and unusually   
  
crowded sidewalks of Azabu-Juban.  
  
The pace was quickening so much that Rini   
  
and Sasha had to be carried most of the   
  
way... Jamie carried Rini and Sasha rode   
  
on Greg's back.  
  
It was a good ten minutes before they   
  
arrived on Amy's block.  
  
They arrived to the presence of police,   
  
fire, and other emergency vehicles.  
  
Greg, Sasha and the others slowed the   
  
pace down as they approached Amy's house.  
  
They suddenly stopped.  
  
There was a large hole blown into the   
  
front of the Mizuno house.  
  
Glass could be seen on the ground, and   
  
the firefighters were just finished   
  
erecting wooden pillars where the hole   
  
was located, so that the front of the   
  
house would not collapse.  
  
Amy ran ahead of Greg, Sasha, and   
  
everyone else.  
  
Ahead, Amy's mother was seen talking to   
  
one of the firefighters, when she found   
  
Amy.  
  
Amy ran into her mother's arms.  
  
"Oh dear daughter," said Mrs. Mizuno.   
  
"I'm glad you're all right..."  
  
"What happened?" asked Amy.  
  
"The moment you figure that out, please   
  
tell me... I was upstairs cleaning the   
  
guest room for Sasha... I heard the noise   
  
downstairs... I... I don't know what   
  
else..." said a frightened Mrs. Mizuno,   
  
her skin tone near pale.  
  
A short distance away, Darien, Chad, Ken   
  
and Hotaru were gathered. Hotaru was   
  
holding Luna in her hands, while Ken had   
  
a hold on Artemis.  
  
Artemis jumped out of Ken's hands and   
  
purred his way toward Mina.  
  
The four (plus two cats) made their way   
  
to the others.  
  
As Amy walked away from the house while   
  
still consoling her mother, Darien spoke.  
  
"Are you all thinking what I'm thinking?"   
  
he said.  
  
"About the hole?" said Jamie.  
  
"Was someone trying to break in?" asked   
  
Raye.  
  
"No way," replied Chad. "It's like   
  
someone is trying to communicate with   
  
someone, at least that's what WE   
  
think..."  
  
"Someone?" said Lita.  
  
"Someone... bad," replied Ken.  
  
"The Neg..."  
  
Greg held himself up after realizing that   
  
he was still in the presence of emergency   
  
officials.  
  
"The.... N people?" went Greg.  
  
"Yes... the N people," replied Hotaru.   
  
"Maybe it was some kind of warning shot?"  
  
"To warn us? About the.... YAAAAAH!"  
  
Greg felt the pain in his head again and   
  
collapsed to the ground.  
  
His friends, and several fire personnel,   
  
rushed to Greg's side.  
  
Greg was violently grabbing his head and   
  
shaking it left and right, right and   
  
left, up and down.  
  
"Take deep breaths," said a firefighter.  
  
Greg was trying to bear the excruciating   
  
pain.  
  
Through the pain, he could hear a   
  
voice...  
  
Mercury Knight! went the voice.   
  
Experience in all its glory the pain that   
  
your girlfriend, Sailor Mercury, will   
  
endure, when I send her to the grave!! I   
  
will be waiting for you at dusk at the   
  
base of Mount Fuji...  
  
Greg's eyes and mouth went wide. He was   
  
breathing heavily.  
  
Then he sat up.  
  
"You ok, Greg?" asked Serena.  
  
Greg held his head.  
  
The pain was gone.  
  
Greg wondered what voice that was for a   
  
moment...  
  
...but then figured it out.  
  
"I am all right," replied Greg.  
  
"Do you need medical attention?" asked a   
  
firefighter.  
  
"No... not right now, thank you anyway,"   
  
said Greg.  
  
The firefighters nodded and returned to   
  
their truck.  
  
"So what do we do now?" Ken asked.  
  
"We can't leave Amy's mother, that's for   
  
sure..." said Lita.  
  
"We have one night..." Greg struggled to   
  
say.  
  
"One night..." said Darien. "... but   
  
where do we go now?"  
  
With the fire department wrapping yellow   
  
"DO NOT CROSS" tape all around the Mizuno   
  
house, Greg could only think of one   
  
alternative...  
  
That night...  
  
"Of course," said Mr. Urawa. "I'm more   
  
than happy to accommodate Mrs. and Miss   
  
Mizuno for as long as they want."  
  
Amy and her mother were welcomed into the   
  
Urawa residence with open arms.  
  
The rest of Greg's friends, plus Luna and   
  
Artemis, spent the evening in the house   
  
as well.  
  
While Amy was tending to her mother in   
  
the kitchen along with Hotaru and Mr.   
  
Urawa, Greg and the others were crammed   
  
into Sasha's room.  
  
Greg was sitting on the bed. Sasha's arms   
  
were wrapped around Greg's shoulders.  
  
"So tomorrow? At Mount Fuji?" asked   
  
Darien.  
  
"That's what I heard in my head," replied   
  
Greg. "At the base of the mountain."  
  
"Where's the base of the mountain   
  
located?" said Jamie. "I should say, what   
  
side of the base?"  
  
"Right," said Mina, "Who knows if we're   
  
on one side, and Sorinya's lurking on the   
  
other side?"  
  
"In that case," said Artemis, "we need to   
  
find the lowest point of the mountain,   
  
and start looking for Sorinya from there.   
  
I think we have no choice in that."  
  
"The base?" said Raye. "I... I   
  
remember... I went to the base of Mount   
  
Fuji... but it was a long time ago... I   
  
was assisting with someone's wedding at a   
  
shrine..."  
  
"That's a start," said Luna. "Do you   
  
remember where that was?"  
  
Raye was thinking hard. "I think it was   
  
the Shin-Fuji shrine," she said.  
  
"Is there a Shin-Fuji shrine around   
  
there?" Ken asked.  
  
Nobody could deliver a response.  
  
"I remember taking the train, and it left   
  
us right at the Shin-Fuji shrine," said   
  
Raye.  
  
"Ok, so a train to Shin-Fuji shrine...   
  
which train is it?" said Mina.  
  
Artemis stood on all fours.  
  
"Sasha, can I use your computer for a   
  
moment?" he asked.  
  
Sasha nodded.  
  
Artemis went on the computer and did an   
  
Internet search for a Shin-Fuji shrine.  
  
"No luck," Artemis replied. "There's no   
  
such place as Shin-Fuji shrine."  
  
"Oh perfect," went Serena. "By the time   
  
we all figure this out, Queen Sorinya   
  
will have beaten us to the mountain."  
  
"And beaten us, too," added Rini.  
  
"I have a hunch..." said Darien, turning   
  
to Greg.  
  
"Greg," he said, "is there a train   
  
station called Shin-Fuji?"  
  
"Train station..." said Greg.  
  
Then Greg's eyes opened wide.  
  
"Yes... Yes, Darien! Shin-Fuji train   
  
station! It's a Kodama train stop on the   
  
bullet train!" said Greg.  
  
"Ah ha, what I thought," said Darien. "I   
  
had to take a Kodama train not too long   
  
ago to Toyohashi for a economic summit...   
  
and now my thoughts are confirmed... on   
  
the way, I passed a train stop called   
  
Shin-Fuji."  
  
"Shin-Fuji is between Mishima and   
  
Shizuoka," Greg said. "And from there,   
  
it's not a long walk over to the base of   
  
the mountain!"  
  
"So then, that's it," said Jamie.  
  
Greg inhaled deeply. "Yes," he said.   
  
"Tomorrow night."  
  
"Hey Artemis," said Chad, "remind me...   
  
what was it that you said about this,   
  
uh... purple... crystal... thing... that   
  
you said could help us defeat Sorinya?   
  
Uh... the... fo... fosfo..."  
  
"Fluorescent crystal," said Ken. "First   
  
me, now you trip up too..."  
  
"Runs in the kingdom, maybe?" joked   
  
Jamie.  
  
"Anyway," said Artemis, "yes Chad, the   
  
fluorescent crystal is the source of   
  
Queen Sorinya's power. If we get our   
  
hands on that, and destroy the crystal,   
  
then Sorinya's days are numbered."  
  
"Not just numbered," added Luna. "Done,   
  
gone, for good."  
  
"And then maybe this pain will jump out   
  
of my head," said Greg.  
  
Sasha then came around Greg and started   
  
to hug him on one side.  
  
"I'll protect you..." she said.  
  
Greg chuckled... "I know you will..."  
  
"I love you... my father..." said Sasha.  
  
Jamie smiled and sighed. "Enjoy the   
  
tender moment while you can, my friend."  
  
Greg looked at Jamie.  
  
"You don't think it's the last time I'll   
  
ever hug her, right?" he said.  
  
"No, no way," Jamie replied.  
  
"Good..." said Greg as Amy stepped   
  
through the door.  
  
"Because I can promise you one thing,"   
  
Greg continued. "We're going to win this   
  
battle for Sasha. I love her too much.   
  
She is my daughter of the future... no...   
  
she is my daughter, period. My flesh and   
  
blood."  
  
Greg looked at Sasha's cherubic, smiling,   
  
teary face.  
  
All of a sudden, someone grabbed his left   
  
shoulder...  
  
It was Rini.  
  
"We'll do this together, right?" asked   
  
Rini. "I won't be left out of this?"  
  
Serena laughed.  
  
Rini looked back at her, eyebrows down.  
  
"What are you laughing at?" she asked.  
  
"Nothing..." Serena replied. "I think you   
  
can help us out this time..."  
  
Darien had a surprised look on his face.  
  
"You... you're serious, aren't you?" he   
  
asked.  
  
Serena nodded her head. "I think you're   
  
ready to face Sorinya."  
  
"GRRREAT!" replied Rini. "I'll help us   
  
win for everyone!"  
  
Greg looked at Rini.  
  
"Thank you!" he responded. "I promise   
  
you... I will live!"  
  
His voice became louder.  
  
"I, GREG URAWA, WILL WIN THIS BATTLE, AND   
  
I.... I..."  
  
It was at this point that Greg finally   
  
noticed Amy at the doorway.  
  
Amy ran up to Greg, smiling and crying.  
  
She gave a big hug to Greg, along with   
  
Rini and Sasha.  
  
Amy looked at Greg. "Do you know what you   
  
just said?"  
  
Greg nodded with confidence. "Yes. I'm   
  
going against what my instincts believe.   
  
It said I was going to die..."  
  
"No, of course you won't die," said   
  
Jamie. "We'll make sure you don't."  
  
"Make sure YOU don't, either," replied   
  
Greg.  
  
"We'll lend you all of our strength,"   
  
said Raye.  
  
"From beginning to the end, dude!" said   
  
Chad.  
  
"We'll never stop fighting for our   
  
friends," said Lita.  
  
"And we... uh... whatever Lita said,"   
  
added Ken.  
  
"As ruler of the Moon Kingdom, I won't   
  
allow you to leave us!" said Serena.  
  
Sweatdrops were on everyone's heads.  
  
"I'm going to give it my best shot," said   
  
Darien.  
  
"Hey, remember, Sasha won't be able to   
  
dance for you if we lose this battle!"   
  
said Mina.  
  
"Don't forget us, too!" said Artemis and   
  
Luna.  
  
"You might want to know something,"   
  
Artemis added. "The fate of some of you   
  
could very well depend on this battle."  
  
"Yes..." said Greg. "Well, thank you all   
  
for your support. You have my word...   
  
I'll do my very best! But, please, don't   
  
be so focused on me. We really have three   
  
people here that we need to save... three   
  
of the most gorgeous young women in this   
  
room."  
  
Greg was looking at the three that were   
  
hugging him.  
  
Rini, Sasha, and Amy.  
  
"Rini and Sasha represent our future,"   
  
said Greg. "And Amy is one-half of what   
  
is needed for one of them to survive...   
  
you know, since Sasha was born in the   
  
future, if Amy goes, then Sasha will   
  
cease to exist."  
  
Everyone stopped to think about that.  
  
Every human, that is.  
  
"Greg is telling the truth," said Luna.  
  
"And if Sasha doesn't make it, then that   
  
will screw things up even more," said   
  
Artemis.  
  
"Does... does that mean WE have to be   
  
careful?" asked Serena.  
  
Darien nodded his head.  
  
"Ok, then it's set then," said Greg.   
  
"Let's see... if I remember the schedule   
  
correctly... yes... the Kodama 429 leaves   
  
for Shin-Osaka at 4:56 PM... It takes   
  
about 70 minutes to get to Shin-Fuji...   
  
so, 6:08 PM. That'll give us 30 minutes   
  
or so until dusk."  
  
"To the moon kingdom, and our future!"   
  
cried Chad, raising his right fist.  
  
Everyone cheered and raised their fists   
  
as well.  
  
Just then, Hotaru walked in with Mrs.   
  
Mizuno and Mr. Urawa.  
  
"Boy, oh, boy, are we having fun in   
  
here," said Mr. Urawa.  
  
"What's all the excitement about?" asked   
  
Mrs. Mizuno.  
  
"Um..." went Amy.  
  
There were sweatdrops on everyone's head.  
  
"It's just the way we finish... our...   
  
meetings," said Greg.  
  
"Meetings, eh?" said Mr. Urawa. "Well,   
  
since you're all so close, I don't blame   
  
any of you."  
  
"So, did the... meeting... go well?"   
  
asked Hotaru with a smile.  
  
"Sure did," said Jamie. "In a little   
  
while, I'll let you know what happened."  
  
"Don't forget Andrew, and Amara and   
  
Michelle," said Mina.  
  
Jamie nodded in response.  
  
"So, what did you guys talk about?" asked   
  
Mrs. Mizuno.  
  
"Oh, the usual stuff," said Raye. "You   
  
know, Mina was in a performance today at   
  
the Oyama."  
  
"Yes, it seems the entire press is on to   
  
you, Mina," said Mr. Urawa. "I saw you on   
  
the news doing something with your legs,   
  
and saying something like, "We help   
  
your... things... come true...."  
  
Mina laughed. "We make dreams and wishes   
  
come true," she said.  
  
"That's it... wonderful, wonderful job,"   
  
said Mr. Urawa. "I never knew a swimsuit   
  
and ballet would match up so perfectly."  
  
Serena bent over to Raye's ear, her eyes   
  
wandering again.  
  
"Apparently it runs in the family,"   
  
Serena whispered.  
  
"You guys are welcome to spend the night   
  
if you want," said Mr. Urawa.  
  
"Thank you, but I think we're going to go   
  
our separate ways in a bit," said Darien.   
  
"We're going to meet up tomorrow for   
  
something important... and uh, we...   
  
might be a bit late..."  
  
"A party again?" said Mrs. Mizuno. "Just   
  
be careful, all of you."  
  
"We will," everyone said.  
  
"Thank you!" said Rini.  
  
"Rini," said Mr. Urawa, "I have my ice   
  
cream bar ready to go tonight! How would   
  
you, Sasha, and everyone else like some   
  
delicious ice cream before you depart?"  
  
"Yeah!" said Rini.  
  
"Yeah!" said Sasha.  
  
"All right then, let's... ugh..." said   
  
Mr. Urawa, who tried to finish his   
  
sentence, but couldn't after seeing   
  
Serena stand in his way.  
  
"Come on, come on, come on! We don't have   
  
all day, Mr. Urawa!" shrieked Serena.  
  
Mr. Urawa, a huge sweatdrop on his head,   
  
conceded. "Heh he... go... go right   
  
ahead, Serena," he said.  
  
Serena led everyone down the stairs   
  
toward the kitchen.  
  
When Greg, Amy, Sasha, Mina and Jamie   
  
were left, Greg called to Jamie.  
  
"Do me a favor man," he said.  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"Make reservations for a Pizza parlor in   
  
Tokyo for a week from today," Greg said.  
  
Jamie smiled. "That confident, eh?"  
  
"Yes... and, see if you can find one with   
  
a stage, too," Greg said.  
  
"Stage?" said Mina.  
  
"Yes," Greg replied. "We're going to eat   
  
Pizza and Sasha's going to do a little   
  
performance."  
  
Sasha's eyes lit up.  
  
"We will get through this, we will   
  
succeed, and... as Amy told me..."  
  
Greg was wrapping his arms tightly around   
  
Amy and Sasha...  
  
"Her love will save me... our love and   
  
teamwork... will save all of us."  
  
Amy kissed Greg.  
  
Sasha hugged harder.  
  
"Now that's the kind of confidence I like   
  
to see!" a proud Mina said.  
  
"We've got a hard day ahead of us, so why   
  
don't we enjoy tonight, and then get a   
  
good night's sleep for tomorrow?" said   
  
Amy.  
  
"You got it, dear," Greg replied.  
  
The quintet headed for the door.  
  
"You want a banana 'split', Mina?" asked   
  
Jamie.  
  
Everyone laughed...  
  
Jamie laughed out loud...  
  
And then stopped...  
  
When he saw Mina in another flexible   
  
pose...  
  
This one with her right leg straight up   
  
in the air and leaning on Jamie's   
  
shoulder.  
  
Mina had a serious look on her face.  
  
"Don't... do... that..." she said.  
  
Jamie could feel Mina's shoe pressed   
  
against his cheek.  
  
A huge sweatdrop appeared on Jamie's   
  
head.  
  
Then, Mina giggled, and kissed Jamie.  
  
"Just kidding!" she said, bringing her   
  
leg back down to the floor.  
  
Greg looked on with curiosity.  
  
As Mina and a confused Jamie went through   
  
the door, Greg looked at Amy, then Sasha.  
  
Greg was about to speak...  
  
"Are you ready, Greg?" asked Sasha.  
  
Greg chucked and smiled. "Yes, I am."  
  
"And I am, too!" said Amy.  
  
"Of course..." said Greg. "You two are   
  
the most important people in my life...   
  
we must protect our futures, and the   
  
futures of our kingdom, and everyone else   
  
too."  
  
"My love, you have never been so serious   
  
before, have you?" said Amy.  
  
Greg, Amy and Sasha looked at the   
  
doorway.  
  
"For that goal..." said Greg... "and for   
  
our own sakes... let's..."  
  
Amy and Sasha smiled.  
  
"Let's... eat our ice cream..." said   
  
Greg.  
  
Amy and Sasha's eyes went wide. They   
  
looked up to Greg.  
  
"Yes, ladies..." said Greg, walking with   
  
them toward the door. "Ice cream,   
  
tonight. Sorinya... comes... tomorrow."   
  
*****************************************  
  
OK Saga of Mercury fans... No more excuses!!  
  
There are three chapters left in the Saga...  
  
the next one is Chapter 33: "The Final Battle."  
  
Will the Mercury family and the other   
  
Sailor Scouts survive?  
  
Find out in March 2004!  
  
*****************************************  
  
ATTENTION SAILOR MOON FANS  
  
Would you like to hear some of the best music from  
  
Sailor Moon? Then tune into the Internet's newest  
  
radio station dedicated to this benchmark Anime series.  
  
From the author of The Saga of Mercury, it's  
  
SILVER MILLENNIUM RADIO   
  
Silver Millennium Radio features only the best  
  
Sailor Moon music, from an extensive music playlist that  
  
rotates on a regular basis.  
  
It also features special weekly programs such as Moonlight   
  
Evenings, and Starry Night Karaoke and Sailor of the Week  
  
For more information and to view a programming calendar,   
  
visit our website:  
  
http://jrhorse.keiichi.net/smradio  
  
Or, launch Silver Millennium Radio now!!  
  
http://www.live365.com/stations/jrhorse2002 


End file.
